The Crucible By Arthur Miller - 979 Words

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a very dramatic and partly fictional play written in 1953 about the Salem Witch Trials. Which took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay between 1692 and 1693. Arthur, got inspiration for this story from McCarthyism, which is when the U.S. government blacklisted implicated communists. Miller was questioned by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 and convicted of compete of Congress for denying to identify others present at meetings he had appeared at. The play had been performed at Martin Beck Theater on Broadway in 1953, on January twenty-second. This play starred E.G. Marshall, Beatrice Straight, and Madeleine Sherwood. But, Arthur Miller felt that the†¦show more content†¦But, John values honesty, and cannot keep the secret any longer. After telling the truth, it lets him keep his integrity, but he has destroyed his reputation as a man. Later in the story, he must face his final test by th e court. If he pursues to reject the fact that he has performed witchcraft, he will be lynched. Yet again, Proctor is tempted to be dishonest to save himself, he then realizes that this again, is a problem concerning integrity. So, in choosing honesty is John Proctor’s form of preserving his virtue in the eyes of God. After Elizabeth had learned the truth about what John has done, she is unable to forgive him. He is bitter towards her because she can’t trust him, but he is guilty himself of being untrustworthy. The fact that he cannot forgive himself is increasing his backlash towards Elizabeths’ inefficiency of forgiveness for him. You can tell John feels guilty, but he still begs for forgiveness from her. He says, â€Å"I’d have you see some honesty in it. Let them, that never lied die now to keep their souls. It is pretense for me, a vanity that will to blind God nor keep my children out of the wind. Pause. What say you?† (Page 136). She then replies with, â€Å"John, it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you’ll forgive yourself. It is not my soul, John, it is yours.† (Page 136). After confessing, he is asked by Danforth to sign on it as well. Proctor refuses to at first, and says â€Å"You have all