Examples Of Irony In The Crucible

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Irony. An event that seems contrary to it’s expectation. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there are many instances of irony present in the town of Salem. The play is focused on a group of girls who are said to be witches. There are multiple court trials that attempt and fail to figure out who is guilty. The guilty often get away, while the innocent are locked up. The only way to get out of jail and to avoid hanging is to confess, even if you’re innocent. The trials end up turning the Puritan town of Salem into a place of dishonesty. Miller’s message about the truth seeking function of the witch tribunal is that those who are innocent are often the ones who are punished. This is evident through the unreasonable rules of the court, Abigail's …show more content…
In Act 2, Elizabeth and John Proctor talk about how the trials are going to begin soon in the court. Elizabeth mentions how the court officials have the power to hang them and that “The Deputy Governor's promise hangin’ if they’ll not confess”(Miller 50). So, if someone is said to be guilty of witchcraft, they have to confess in order to save their life. If someone decides to blame another for witchcraft, that person will be tried in court, which shows how the innocent can be framed as guilty. In Act 4, John Proctor is put in jail and Hale urges his wife, Elizabeth, to make him confess. He tells her, “I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie. Quail not before God’s judgement in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride”(Miller 122). Hale uses his knowledge to advise Elizabeth in helping her husband make the right decision. Hale is trying to do what’s best for the Proctors because he knows the court system is immoral and believes John is innocent. This is ironic because the court believes any accusation they hear, so it is most likely that the person accused will be hung if they don’t confess. The whole court system in Salem was ironic at this time, as those who are accused have to lie in order to be seen as
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