Another reason their relationship is dangerous is that if John Procter were to prosecute against Abigail Williams saying that she is in fact a witch, Abigail Williams could very easily tell the entire town that she and Procter have been having an affair to get revenge on him. It wouldn’t really affect her too much, but on the contrary, it would ruin his reputation in the town and his relationship with his wife. Later in Act I, Abigail is being “interrogated” by Reverend Hale and she claims “I never sold myself! I’m a good girl! I’m a proper girl!” (Miller 40) in this statement, Abigail is defending herself that she never sold herself to the devil.
To be blacklisted means to be put on a list of people or products viewed with suspicion or disapproval (Free Dictionary), which means nobody would hire you for work. Blacklisting was kind of like what was going on in The Crucible because if you were accused of doing witchcraft, your reputation in the town of Salem was ruined. Arthur Miller’s development of fear in the Crucible is the same as the fear during the Red Scare. Abigail accused Tituba doing witchcraft and just because she was afraid of being hanged, she pled guilty. Being accused of being a witch in Salem, Massachusetts was alarming because even if one was innocent, they are still held guilty.
Although it was not his initial plan to confess, he does so in order to protect his wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft by their former servant, Abigail. The reason Abigail is no longer their servant is because she had an affair with John. It is evident that Elizabeth knew of the affair when Proctor said, “My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one” (Miller 116). Abigail has accused Elizabeth of witchcraft because she feels John is more hers than Elizabeth’s.
When his wife Elizabeth Proctor was accused for witchery John knew he must do everything he could to prove to the court she wasn’t a witch and Abigail was lying. Although John wanted to do everything for his wife he was not ready to admit to the court what he had done instead he used Mary Warren. Mary Warren was a young lady who took Abigail’s job at the Proctor household and was also one of the girls who were lying about seeing people’s spirits in the court. “She never saw no spirits sir” John Proctor said to Danforth. (88) When Mary told him that she and the other girls were just pretending about seeing the spirits he is unsure if Mary is telling the truth.
You are not at my side and these words may be the only thing that saves me from the guilt. I shall explain myself by recalling the night from the beginning. You and I had been upset with each other. You wanted me to go to Salem and testify against Abigail. I was defensive and unsure.
Dearest Mr. & Mrs. Lee, I know that this letter is very overdue and most likely unwanted, and may be seen as “a trap to try and convince people” (Sarah Koenig, Serial, Ep. 11, 33:34). I thought, since I have never provided you with my side of the story, you both may get a better understanding as to the reasons why I continue to maintain my innocence for the murder of Hae. Your daughter was a great part in my life, and although my words may mean nothing to you, I hope that you will hear the truth in my version of events and understand that I, too, am a victim in this tragedy. I would first like to discuss the only “hard evidence” that the state has offered in convicting me of this murder; the outgoing phone call on my cell phone to Nisha Inez Butler on the day Hae was murdered.
The fact that he cheat on Elizabeth doesn't mean he didn't love or respect her greatly. He was forced by Abigail Williams to fall into a affair with her. I think here John Proctor had no interest in loving Abigail Williams, it was all that she had forced him into having an affair with him. John Proctor wanted to live a simple and hardworking life, not to lie and not create hysteria. Abigail Williams is the niece of Reverend Parris, the hypocritical preacher of Salem.
The choices she makes throughout are frequently wrong, although her intentions are correct and honest. Her biggest mistake is her sympathy for Mickey after his accident and her decision to help in his rehabilitation. She had escaped the trap, and then foolishly stepped back in, even without her firm decision not to remarry. This essential point is misunderstood by some viewers, who do not realize that Francine and Mickey are divorced during the last half of the flashback. Technically, Mickey’s attacks are not spouse abuse, but straightforward assault and battery.
I’m deeply sorry for how I acted towards you John. Let me tell you John, it was not my intention to hurt you and the family. There are many things that I would have done differently to better our lives. I was cold towards you John, purely cold. I don’t expect you to forgive me John Proctor, but I still ask for it.
There are many reasons I don’t believe in the death penalty. For one thing, I don’t believe it helps the survivors, who grieve. Executions in my view focus more on revenge then anything and doest even focus on healing. If anything it makes another family go through what the victim’s family went though. Why would anyone willingly want to do that to another person?