by Michael Chamberlain

Created on: September 26, 2008

"The Devil is loose in Salem, Mr. Proctor, we must discover where he's hiding." This statement made by Mary Warren in Arthur Miller's, The Crucible is a great definition of the main theme of this play. His play informs the reader of a time when the Devil was being accused for many things, and nobody knew where he really was. In this essay I will explore where the devil is hiding not only in The Crucible, but also in our world today.

The epicenter of the Devil nonsense is Abigail. She lusts after a married man, John Proctor and will do anything to get him. The whole commotion begins when she is discovered in the forest drinking a potion to kill John's wife. In order to cover her own wrongdoings she decides to confess she is a slave to the Devil, and in turn accuses many innocent people in the town of Salem of witchcraft including John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth. The irony is that the Devil who Abigail is accusing others of following, is actually the one fueling the fire within her to kill in order to get John. The judges and ministers of the town are also influenced by the Devil. They are very quick to believe everything Abigail says, even after they are given proof that she has a motive to kill Elizabeth Proctor.

The Devil works in very mysterious ways. His main tactic is to disguise himself as good. He likes to take the form of so called gray areas and slowly lead mankind deeper and deeper into the pit of desperation and endless misery. His main goal is to make man as miserable as he is. There is no difference between the Devil and evil. Where evil is, the Devil is there promoting it. The Devil is no respecter of persons, and nobody is immune to his temptations.

The accused realize who the Devil really is in this play. They can see the bigger picture. They are being accused unfairly, with no evidence. While trying to defend his wife, Elizabeth, John Proctor is also accused of witchcraft. When trying to reveal the true intentions of Abigail, John states, "I'll tell you what's walking Salem-vengeance is walking Salem and common vengeance writes the law!" He admits to sleeping with her and destroys his name just to save his wife from the noose. His confession is still not enough.

On the night before his execution, Abigail goes to John and tells him that she can help him escape. He refuses because, he now sees the evil he has done and wants to correct it. Her plan failed and so she decides to flee with money stolen from her uncle, who is also the minister.

We learn

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