The Crucible - Essay Example

Mostly, the little lies are used to spice up the story or achieve a certain effect among the audience. There are various reasons for which people do lie. In many cases the lies are propagated to save certain situations or protect certain interests the individual lying may have. In some instances, people have lied even under oath. This paper seeks to delve into the reasons as to why people lie, even under an oath In the 1953 play by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, he depicts the Salem Witch Trials.

The trials are carried out in such a way that the villagers’ testimonies determine the fate of the accused. Several innocent people meet their deaths courtesy of the testimonies. On the other hand, some guilty characters escape death as the villagers’ testimonies save them. Clearly, an accused person’s life balances on what the mob has to say of him or her. For those who get saved yet are guilty, lies do it for them. The villagers simply have to lie on the truth about them for their lives to be saved.

Some innocent characters are however not as lucky. The villagers’ false affirmation to their participation in witchcraft leads them to their death. The villagers actually lie big time depending on whom they want to save or crucify. The accused also resort to lying in order to save themselves. Extreme behaviors occur during this time when life or death is made by the difference between treachery and truthfulness. Apparently, fear appears to be the reason behind the lying. The characters Abigail William, Mary Warren and John Proctor are the most deceiving.

Abigail goes to great lengths to deceive Salem’s townspeople for her selfish gains. Questioned about dancing in company of the other girls in the woods, she puts the blame on Tituba. She quips, “She made me do it! She made Betty do it!” (187). Apparently, she is willing to sacrifice Tituba’s life so that she can escape punishment. On the other hand, while Tituba