Crucible, The

A detailed Summary of Crucible, The

Has this ever happened to you: You wanted something really bad, so you did every little thing so correct and so perfect and you led yourself so high and so far. Yet one simple mistake caused everything you worked so hard for to disintegrate, like there was no point you even tried? Well, this is irony and irony, unfortunately, usually occurs at the most unexpected and/or most critical moments in life. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, irony emerges at the worst possible time, in the courts decision to choose either life or death for the main character, John Proctor. This major decision was based on the simple answer of Elizabeth Proctor, yes meant life, no meant death. A likely motivation that Elizabeth went against her values and her religion by telling her first lie was because she indeed loved John after all, despite of how she showed it in the past. Another likely motivation for Elizabeth's lie was to convince herself, the court and the community of Salem that her husband is a good man, and he would never have an affaire because he is satisfied with her and her being; she just didn't want to accept the fact that her husband cheated on her. Yet, the effect of the lie has a greater value then the motivations behind the

lie, it was, in truth, a good thing that Elizabeth lied, even if it resulted in the death of John because what came with the lie was the new understandings John and Elizabeth had for one another, and the mutual agreement they had, that they forgave each other and begged for forgiveness from one another; a feeling that seemed forever lost in their limited relationship.

In any case, Elizabeth decided to tell a lie, her first lie, which ended up in something utterly ironic.

Elizabeth Proctor is a loving wife (even if she didn't show it in a affectionate way) and would only want the best for her husband. Yet she never knew that her decision to tell her first lie, she thought would save John, actually resulted in the hanging of him. When Elizabeth entered the courtroom her decision to tell a lie was purely out of love. A woman, who has never told a lie ever in her entire life, told the ultimate sin to save her husband. This was the first sign of love towards her husband she showed in a long time; Elizabeth knew it as well as John. " 'Answer my questions! Is your husband a lecher!' 'No, sir'... 'Elizabeth, I have confessed it...She only thought to save my name!'" (p. 105) Any loving wife, who was straight in her mind, would tell a lie to save her husband, as Elizabeth tried to do in the courtroom. Yet for a human being who has never committed a sin, which includes lying, this must have been extremely difficult to do, regardless if it meant to save a life or not. Elizabeth's moral values were at stake when she lied, this includes everything she has ever believed in and everything she had faith in, and not to mention the example she was setting for her children. This just proves that she, in fact, loved John, maybe even more then she loved her religion and her values, regardless of how she showed her love to John in the past. "John, I counted myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me! Suspicion kissed you when I did; I never knew how I should say my love. It were a cold house I kept!" (p. 127) Elizabeth knew indeed that the way she expressed her love obviously wasn't very warm, and at times, may have been intercepted to John as suspicion. Yet, she made sure her last words to John were honest ones, and she made sure that John knew that she indeed was aware of her lack of love to him, and that she didn't know how to express herself in such a loving way. Yet, there is another side to this dramatic love story, another different motivation, per say, why Elizabeth told this lie, not just because she wanted to prove to herself and to John that she indeed loved him, and not just because she wanted to save John's life, but for a reason that far exceeds love, jealousy.

All in all, the situation that was once called "ironic" is now restated into "fate". However

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1884
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English