Destiny Velasquez The Crucible Lying to save one’s own reputation will eventually lead into many lies, hurting not just yourself, but others as well. In the Crucible, Arthur Miller uses motivation, dramatic irony, and suspense, to tell the story of the play and to show how a liar can manipulate others. The play takes place in 1692 during and is a storyline of the Salem Witch Trials. Miller creates motivation, dramatic irony, and suspense mainly through the use of his characters Hale, Elizabeth and Abigail.

Hale creates motivation in the play when trying to protect the townspeople from being blamed, Elizabeth Proctor creates the dramatic irony because she lied in court to attempt to save her husband from being punished, and Abigail creates suspense because she always has a new lie to tell the town of. Arthur Miller uses motivation in his character Hale, when he attempts to save others many times throughout the play. Reverend John Hale tries to save John Proctor, and while he is talking with Elizabeth Proctor, he says: “You know, do you not, that I have no connection ith the court? I come of my own, Goody Proctor. I would save your husband’s life, for if he is taken I count myself his murderer. Do you understand me? ” (p. 131). Hale first came into the play when Parris summons him to examine his daughter Betty. Hale slowly figures out that Abigail is lying and that she is blaming others for her doing. Hale tries to save every innocent character from what turns out to be the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

Although Hale’s motive in the novel is to seek all evil in the world and get rid of it, he gradually changes his view in the play. He knows Abigail is the main person to blame but he cannot do much about that because the town would not believe him, and there is a possibility he may be punished for blaming Abigail. Abigail is the villain of the play and she creates most of the suspense in the play because she lies, manipulates her friends and the entire town, and she eventually sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths.

Abigail can be known as the main reason for the beginning to the trials because, if Abigail would have not lied at all, she would have been to blame, rather than the innocent townspeople. In the play, Abigail says: “I have been hurt Mr. Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin’ out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people—and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a—“ and Mr. Danforth interrupts her calling her a child (p. 108).

Abigail wants to be rewarded for lying; she was capable of getting the entire town to believe her. She creates suspense because every time she enters a scene, the audience never knows what lie she is going to tell next. Abigail also has an affair with Elizabeth Proctor’s husband John Proctor, and she somewhat falls in love with him. Elizabeth Proctor creates the dramatic irony in the play because she is portrayed as a woman who will never lie, but she lies for the first time in the play when she is in the courthouse and she tries to save her husband from being punished.

Although her husband had a past relationship with Abigail, Elizabeth still loves him and takes him back after all his mistakes. When the court asks Elizabeth if her husband has ever cheated on her, she says “My husband—is a goodly man, sir” (p. 113). Elizabeth tried to catch her husband’s attention because she did not know what to tell the court. The court knew she had lied because John Proctor has already made the court aware of his affair.