Unjustness in The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay example

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, unjustness is displayed constantly throughout the play, when innocent men and women are accused of witchcraft in the town of Salem during the 1690s. Chaos and havoc erupt in this small town during the times of the trials, causing many prominent men and women to be wrongly accused of practicing witchcraft. In particular, John Procter, a well respected leader in the town of Salem, soon becomes entangled in the Salem witch trials, when his wife Elizabeth and many other women of the town are accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams, his former mistress. Unlike other characters in the story, Procters personality can be seen gradually changing throughout the course of the play, because of the events that†¦show more content†¦This is because he is intolerant of the sins he has committed. Even though John willingly commits adultery with Abigail, he does not want to acknowledge his sin. He tells Abigail that â€Å"[he] may think of [her] soft ly from time to time,† but that he would rather â€Å"cut off [his] hand† before ever reaching for her again. He then proceeds to tell her that â€Å"[they] never touched. (23).† Johns speech to Abigail shows that although John knows he commits adultery, he does not want to admit to it because he is ashamed of himself. John does not want his relationship with his wife Elizabeth or the town of Salem to be tainted by the sins he has committed. Initially, after John Proctors affair with Abigail Williams, he struggles to maintain a strong relationship with his wife. For example, at the beginning of act two, when John comes home to his wife, he tastes the food in the pot and is â€Å"not quite pleased,† with the flavor, and decides to add a pinch of salt (49). John Procters actions shows that he is not satisfied with the relationship between him and his wife. Although Proctor loves Elizabeth, he uses Abigail as his â€Å"seasoning† in order to satisfy his sexual desires. In addition to the lack of satisfaction in their relationship, Elizabeth Proctor also does not trust John, because of the act of adultery he committed with Abigail. In the beginning of act two, as Proctor comes