What would it be like to live in a lie-less world? To live, unexposed to any sin of tongue. Would it be easier, or harder? You wouldn’t be lied to, but you yourself couldn’t commit the act either, which could be complicating in some situations.
While reading The Crucible, I found myself asking many questions. What would become if this situation if Abigail and her follower’s lies stopped? Had John not lied to his wife and lusted after Abigail, would Abigail have started this in the first place? Would there even be a situation had there been no lies? I don’t think so. Lying appears consistently through out the play. After completely denying committing acts of witchcraft, Abigail “sets the story straight” with all of her friends in Act 1. John Proctor is engaged in an affair with Abigail, and lies to Elizabeth. Soon after John confesses to having an affair with Abigail, Mary Warren is accused of being a witch by Abigail, upon which Mary reacts by accusing John of being a witch. And Elizabeth, who according to John never lies, lies when questioned about John’s affairs in court. What a case of dramatic irony that was! One lie, then another. Another. And another. This play is built on lies!
However when that act of lying is committed, the liar has a choice when confronted- confess to lying or lie again. I think it’s instinct to lie again, because you don’t want to be condemned for the first lie.
And we all know that lying is bad and in court, unlawful. But would you lie to save your life? Some of the accused in this story did, they admitted to taking part in witchery of some form, even though they were faithful Christians. However, some didn’t. Like Rebecca Nurse, and Giles Corey. They should be praised for their incredible amount of character, and for having the courage to stand firm and testify on what they knew was the truth.
With that, I think these trials brought out the true character of people. Sometimes today we are tested, tried, (not necessarily tried in court), and put in difficult situations. These situations are portals for our true selves to show. Though John Proctor falsely confessed to witchcraft, he ended up renouncing his confession because he felt it was unjust for him to live by telling a lie. He was sent to be hung, with his wife in tears, but he had told the truth- and that's what killed him.
I like that you pointed out all of the lying that went on during the Salem Witch Trials and the lying throughout the play, and then showed how the lying showed us how much character each person had or didn't have during the trials. I think that all of the examples really brought together what you got from the novel. One thing I don't understand is how John Proctor not lying was, metaphorically, the cause of his death.
ReplyDeleteWell John renounced his confession, he ripped up the paper he wrote his name on. Had he lied and said he was involved in witch craft, and had he gone completely through with it, he would have lived. But he didn't, and was sent to the gallows. So it's not really metaphorical..
ReplyDeleteHaley,
ReplyDeleteI love how you said that John Proctor told the truth, and that is what killed him. I also really liked how you connected the theory of lying to our own lives, because I think a lot of us can relate to the idea of being lied to, have lied before, or confessed to something we didn't do to cover up for others. This blog really enlightened me.
-Brandd. ;)
I thought all the lying in this play was just ridiculous. Continuous strings of lies and deceptions, but only a very few had the moral to do what was right. I thought about that too, that if Abigail hadn't been so self-concerned and deceiving, maybe none of this would have happened, and all those innocent people wouldn't have been killed.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I disagree about John's death. I think it was really the lies that killed him. If he hadn't lied about his affair, and confessed in the first place, he probably wouldn't have gone to jail, and Abigail might not have seemed so trustworthy anymore. Then when John was facing the gallows, he had the chance to lie again and avoid them, but he refused to lie anymore, and died a tragic hero, instead of living as an outcast with a tattered reputation. So if anything, I think the truth saved him.
Bradi that's true, except when it came down to it in the end, had John lied, he would have lived. Had he falsely confessed and stuck to his "confession" he wouldn't have been sent to the gallows.
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