What Is Wrong In The Crucible

“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both” (Roosevelt). The goal of America’s legal system as we know it is that everyone is given an equal opportunity to stick up for what they may or may not have done, as described by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Even though this is what officials strive for, it is not always the case. Facts can be skewed, distorted, or misrepresented to make one side seem to be guilty without a doubt and to make the other side seem as if they have done nothing wrong. The Crucible by Arthur Miller begins and ends with one-sided accusations of witchcraft. It all results from a group of girls who had been dancing in the woods. After two fall sick, the accusations begin. The girls who were dancing,

Elizabeth shows this when she decides to lie about John cheating on her. She calls her husband “a goodly man” and when Danforth asks if John is a lecher she simply responds “No, sir” (Miller 1312). This is a lie, but Elizabeth believes that it is the right thing to do. In her mind, John should not be punished for this because she has already forgiven him. By lying and saying that he did not cheat on her, Elizabeth believes that she is doing the right thing and preventing any harm from coming John’s way. Sadly, this approach does not help and despite Elizabeth’s best efforts, John is still punished by the court. This theme is also seen when John stands up against Abby and the witchcraft-conspiracy. Hale is the first to ask John if he believes in witches. John responds by saying “I cannot believe they come among us now” (Miller 1279). He later takes his ideas to the court where he tells the judges that there are no witches in Salem and that the girls are pretending. He truly has the best intentions in doing this. He wants to help his wife and any others who have been thrown in jail because of a story made up by the girls. He does not place himself first, just others and what he believes in. It angers him that so many people are being hurt because of a mound of vicious lies. He tries his best to give all of the accused a voice that they never got before.

Primarily, someone accused of witchcraft has two choices: blame someone else or be honest but suffer the consequences. John Procter is frustrated that this is the way his society is functioning: “Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now?” (Miller 1283). Those who accuse another of witchcraft virtually have their slate cleaned. The spotlight leaves them and points at the individual they had accused. People catch on to this almost immediately, and the people who feel the guiltiest or are the most scared tend to blame others to get out of their situation. Based solely off of morals, the better option would be to accept one’s fate or try and prove the accusations are incorrect. This would put an end to people being wrongly accused, which would hopefully bring an end to the witch-hunt. Unfortunately, this tactic does not work because the court does not believe a word that comes out of a so-called witch’s mouth. Unfairness reaches a peak when those who lie are set free, and those who are honest are executed. Finally, injustices are unable to be solved because of the court’s reluctance to stop executions. When Reverend Hale asks Danforth to pardon some of the people on trial, Danforth replies, “I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just” (Miller 1324). Danforth is convinced that by pardoning