Importance of Justice by A
        The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. The play has many subjects such as hysteria, nature of authority, guilt, and hypocrisy. Despite the many subjects in The Crucible, the single most important subject is justice, or the lack thereof. Justice is the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, religion or equality; unfortunately for all of those involved, these concepts were not portrayed in the court of Salem. The courts in The Crucible not only allowed the liars to be set free, but worse, they accused the innocent. A proper display of justice is crucial in every society; without one, it can lead to mass hysteria. While many injustices are demonstrated throughout this play, the actions speak loudest from those willing to fight for what is morally right.
        Although the court system was created as a way to fight for justice, the actions from the court in The Crucible were, unfortunately, contradictory. Those involved in officiating include: Judge John Hathorne, Reverend Samuel Parris, Reverend John Hale, Ezekiel Cheever, and the leader of the court, Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth. An example of the courts abusing their power and not being just is by assuming the accused are guilty until proven innocent. All it takes is an accusation for an individual to be arrested for witchcraft; you do not even need to provide proof. Unfortunately, John Proctor was a victim of this injustice. When John was arrested, it was from an accusation made by Mary Warren. She stated, âHe wake me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and I sign, I sign⊠Marshal! Take him and Corey with him to the jail!â(Miller 119, 120). After hearing Maryâs plea, Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth arrested Proctor immediately. Even though Mary did not have any proof to provide to the court other than her word, it was enough for Danforth to make his decision. He was so determined to find witches that it blinded him from using proper judgment. As Mary Warren retells the court proceedings she says âAye, but then Judge Hathorne say, âRecite for us your commandments!â - leaning avidly toward them - and of all the ten she could not say a single one. She never knew no commandments,â (Miller 58). She explains to John and Elizabeth Proctor that since Sarah Good could not recite her commandments, she must be guilty of witchcraft. She can not be innocent if she does not know her commandments and so she is immediately condemned. This is just another of many examples that demonstrate the corrupt ways of the court as she is not questioned further. There is no way to prove your innocence if you are assumed guilty, and without evidence, there is no opportunity to provide an explanation.
        An additional example of injustice shown in The Crucible is the courtâs refusal to accept all forms of evidence. When Mary Warren, a key witness, gives a deposition stating she was lying, Danforth does not accept it. He says to Proctor, âNo, no, I accept no depositions.â (Miller 88). Even after admitting her claims were false, the court still did not listen to her. Despite innocent lives at stake, the court only hears what they want to hear to get their desired outcome. All it takes is one accusation, true or not, and the future of the accused lies in the hands of the courts and their agenda. There are also many outbursts by the officials of the courts, such as Reverend Samuel Parris. He often yells out and interrupts the court saying manipulating comments like, âExcellency, you surely cannot think to let so vile a lie be spread in open court!â (Miller 82). This goes to show that some of the biggest influencers in court can yell, scream, and speak out of turn to sway the judgeâs opinion to make their own personal opinions about the case known. What happened to allowing others to speak their side of the story uninterrupted? The court should not be a public debate.
        However, throughout all of the corruption, there is still hope. Reverend John Hale began to realize the flaws within the court. He questioned Danforth and his reasoning. Hale argued, âBut this child claims the girls are not truthful, and if they are not-â referring to Mary Warren and her deposition. He knows it is only right to take all evidence into consideration in order to truly be just. Furthermore, he puts himself out there with Danforth, not only showing how much he cares about justice, but how seriously he will advocate for it, even if it means risking it all. Hale additionally suggested the court should get lawyers involved in order to make for a fair hearing. Hale states, âI cannot say he is an honest man; I know him little. But in all justice, sir, a claim so weighty cannot be argued by a farmer. In Godâs name, sir, stop here; send him home and let him come again with a lawyerâ(Miller 99). Towards the end of the court proceedings, after none of his suggestions are granted, Hale quits as he is so fed up with the court. Hale proclaims, âââI denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!â (Miller 120). After doing everything he can throughout the hearing, he knows, morally, that he can no longer stand to be associated with this misconduct.
        The other most prominent character fighting for justice is John Proctor. He sees the court for what they truly are from the beginning. He first vocalizes this by saying, âAnd why not, if they must hang for denyinâ it? There are them that will swear to anything before theyâll hang; have you never thought of that?â (Miller 69). He sees that if people deny the accusations they will be hanged, and if they lie they are still guilty just for something different according to the Bible; itâs a lose-lose situation. When you are accused, no matter the situation, if it does not align with the opinions of the court, the outcome is decided. Proctor says this to Hale, who at the time is still a member of the court. His concerns ultimately convince Hale to question the court proceedings and ultimately try to fight for justice. Proctor additionally fights in court when his wife is accused of witchcraft. He is the one that went with Mary Warren to give Danforth her deposition. He also gave Danforth the deposition, which ninety-one people signed, showing their good opinion of Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Martha Corey. In court, Proctor says, âThese are all landholding farmers, members of the church. If youâll notice, sir - theyâve known the women many years and never saw no sign they had dealings with the Devil.â(Miller 93). Proctor is trying to prove innocence by using the deposition as his evidence. It is not not just his wife that he is fighting for in this play, and he proves that by saying, âThese are my friends. Their wives are also accused -â(Miller 92). Ultimately, he is given a deal to save Elizabethâs life for one year, but denies it in an effort to help everyone else as well. Proctor wants justice for everyone and he is doing everything in his power to fight for it.
        Despite all the daunting flaws of the court of Salem, there are individuals doing their best to rise above the noise, defying the norms, for justice and change; John Hale and John Proctor being the most prominent. However, the change has to happen from within. With representatives such as Thomas Danforth and Samuel Parris in charge of the courts, injustice is all but inevitable. Being fair and treating everyone impartially are of the utmost importance for every society. Without courts abiding by these principles, innocent lives will continue to be threatened.
Miller, Arthur, and Abbotson Susan C W. The Crucible.
