Elizabeth's lie in the courtroom is perhaps the most
dramatic moment in Act III of The Crucible; but the crisis, it
seems to me, happens before that. John has come to court to try to persuade them that
the girls were lying. He tried several lesser arguments--no doubt hoping he could make
them see the truth without any great risk to himself--but to no avail. It is only when
Proctor admits to his adulterous relationship with Abigail, the ringleader of the
accusing girls, that the judges take notice.
This is a
pivotal moment, a crisis moment, for two reasons: 1) it does capture the attention of
the judges in a way nothing else did, and 2) by admitting to the sin/crime of adultery,
John Proctor has signed his own death warrant. Adultery was a capital offense, and he
knew it. In this case, the witchcraft accusations supercede the adultery, but he knows
his life will never be the same after this admission. John Proctor's admission, I
think, is the moment of crisis in this act. Elizabeth's well intentioned lie simply
seals their fates.
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