Mary Warren loses all moral integrity she once possessed at the end of ‘The Crucible’. Mary is one of the only girls who does not join in with Abigail’s lies, until she finally gave into fear and joined them. She contested Abigail’s claims but when she was faced with the possibility of hanging she turned on John Proctor, saving herself but sending him to eventual death. After Abigail accuses Mary of helping the devil, eventually Mary claims that she did do it but only because John Proctor made her. “He (John Proctor) come at me by night and every day to sign, to sign…” and she screams “You’re the devils man!” at Proctor as he stands their in disbelief as he has been betrayed. This shows that when they are faced with blame all moral integrity is forgotten, as along as they themselves are safe they will use an innocent person as a ‘scapegoat’ even though it will send them to their death!
Abigail is the ‘villain’ of this play and starts this whole fiasco. Moral integrity does not appear to even be an issue with her as she tells lie after lie. Abigail grew up an orphan with virtually no rights or power. However, once these witch hunts begin, suddenly she has the power to destroy people’s lives. After one lie, she somewhat abuses this power that she could never have hoped to posses. Also, Abigail desperately wants to have John Proctor and will do anything to get him, including accuse his wife. Ironically, it is in fact John Proctor that ends up being a victim of her lies. She lives in fear that she will be exposed for committing adultery with John Proctor. All her lies begin because of her fear that she will be accused of being a witch. She is willing to send people to their deaths just to protect herself. All of the latter are amongst the reasons why Abigail’s integrity was undermined by fear. “Why Abigail Williams charge her.” “Oh please Mary! Don’t come down” as Abigail claims Mary is attacking her in the form of a bird. This shows that Abigail will do anything to save herself, and could be regarded as a coward.
Danforth is extremely stubborn man whose moral integrity was undermined once he was faced with fear. He sentenced people to hang for crimes that he suspected they did not commit, just to save his ‘good reputation’ as a judge. Finding people not guilty of helping the devil would’ve suggested that he was wrong about people he sentenced earlier. However, rather than spare these people’s lives and admit his decisions were wrong, he let them be humiliated and ultimately hanged, and kept his ‘reputation’. When Giles Corey contested his decision he sent him to a jail cell, “…I have no choice to arrest you for contempt of court.” He allows sentenced people to live on one condition; they sign their good name over, by confessing. This puts the onus on them. “You will confess Mary or you will hang!” This all shows that Danforth will put his reputation as a judge before people’s lives, the truth and justice.
John Proctor is the ‘hero’ of ‘The Crucible’. He maintains his moral integrity despite admitting to breaking one of the ‘Ten commandments’ by committing adultery. This is extremely frowned upon in their puritanical society. However, he has not confessed to his sin, in court, because of fear of death, but fear of gaining respect from death which he believes he doesn’t deserve. “It is a fraud. I am not that man. My honest is broke…” Also Proctor at anytime could have shifted the blame off himself by accusing someone else of helping the devil, but that would be undermining his moral integrity so he refrained from it. In the end of the play, Proctor may have died having committed a sin, but he died an honest, ‘clean’ man, knowing that he could have saved himself, but he chose not to.
Giles Corey is another person who maintained his moral integrity. While Danforth stands by his decision to sentence many people to their deaths just to protect his pride, Giles Corey contests his decision, so much so that he risks his own life. Even when he knows that he, himself, will be jailed if he continues to fight for them, he does not give in. “You know well why not! He’ll lay in jail if I give his name!” This shows that Giles put other people before himself, as he will go to jail if he does not name him. In the end Giles dies with dignity and integrity. As weights are laid on his body to force him to confess, his final brave words are, “More weight please.”
Elizabeth Proctor also fully maintains her moral integrity, despite being pushed to the limit by John and Abigail’s affair. She found it in her heart to forgive John and stood by him. “My husband is a good and righteous man.” There is only once in the play where Elizabeth goes against her personal principles. That is when she lied in court by stating that John did not commit adultery. When asked by Danforth if her husband committed lechery, she replied, “No, sir.” However, this is quite understandable and could even be respected as it shows her loyalty towards her husband. In the final act Elizabeth is not selfish by persuading John to confess, but respects his decision and supports it. “Do as you will. Do as you will.” She is an extremely strong minded woman, which is shown by the fact that she never once loses her temper with Abigail, despite the pain she has inflicted on the Proctors.
In conclusion, ‘The Crucible’ shows how easily people’s principles and moral integrity are undermined by fear. Even in a puritanical town where their lives are practically based on their pride, when the “devil enters Salem” people seem to forget that. The character I most sympathise with is Elizabeth Proctor, and to a certain extent, John Proctor. John Proctor is effectively sentenced to death by Abigail, because she wants to be with him! He may have committed adultery, but in no way does he deserve to have his life taken from him for something he obviously did not commit. Some could argue that Elizabeth Proctor is the character who deserves the most sympathy. She has done absolutely nothing wrong, yet her marriage is torn apart by Abigail and Danforth and her husband is executed. I think that ‘The Crucible’ is a good parable of how fear affects people and shows how ultimately, many people only care about saving themselves, whether it affects other people or not.
