The Crucible Essay Example

Arthur Miller once stated in one of his novels, “Betrayal is the only truth that sticks.” In the play the Crucible by Arthur Miller, betrayal is a reoccurring event that backlashes others causing a negative impact on their lives. Betrayal varies to many forms causing the characters true nature to be brought out with their decisions.
To begin, Abigail Williams, to avoid being imprisoned and possibly hung, manages to turn everyone’s attention, and blames Tituba. Hale proceeds to question Abigail on whether she had been seeing the devil and taking part in witchcraft. Abigail progresses to blame Tituba asserting that Tituba had forced her to dance and came to her at night, “I never called him. Tituba, Tituba…” (1.1.41). Abigail betrayed Tituba’s trust, causing her to suffer in jail for many months to come. They had both decided that for their own good, they would not speak of what happened that night in the forest, but Abigail went back on that when she broke her promise and betrayed Tituba.
Secondly, Betty Parris decides to turn her back on and betray several people in her town, “I saw George Jacob’s with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the devil!” (1.1.45). This specific example of duplicity took place for a few reasons. Firstly, Betty was terrified of what Abigail would do to her but also, Betty feared what the future held. Finally, although those people had not wronged her in any way and she had no motives against them, they simply were the first people to come to her mind chosen to be casualties. This is an example out of fear of both Abigail and the unknown.

Then, John Procotor fell away from his wife and had an affair with Abigail Williams. “It’s winter in here.” John states that not only because it is drab in there the house but also because it refers to late in the play when Elizabeth said that she kept a cold home because she was not around due to illness. John broke his vows to Elizabeth and although Elizabeth tried to take the blame, it was truly his wrong doing. He should have never given into temptation and had an affair with Abigail but he did. For the rest of the play he tries to make it up to her but in the end, he finally forgives himself by deciding to do that right thing and dying for what he believed in.

Next, Mary Warren accuses John Proctor of forcing her to go to trial and that she never wanted to do witchcraft although that is false. “You’re the devil’s man.”(3.1.78). This is both betrayal and unfaithfulness because Mary Warren had sworn in God’s name that she would say the truth and nothing but. Now she falsely accuses John of witchcraft going not only against the court but also God. John then proceeds to say that God is dead because he is convinced that if God were in that court then there is no good God.