The Weakness of Mary Warren
In real life, most people are not entirely good or entirely evil, as they are in some fictional stories. Humans are complex, and all of them have different problems and flaws . In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, a terror-driven witch hunt breaks out in the tiny village of Salem, Massachusetts, during a time when the Puritans were newly settled in America. These Puritans wanted nothing more than to live peaceful, religious lives free of the turmoil they had escaped from. However, the people in Salem Village are not entirely righteous, and their combined weaknesses and sins lead to the deaths of innocent people during the hunt for Satan. One of these people is Mary Warren, a lonely, fearful servant girl who struggles with her dependence on others and lack of strength throughout the play.
At the start of the play, Mary is friends with Abigail, who bosses her around and bullies her into doing evil things, like accusing innocent people of witchcraft. At first, Mary knows that what she is doing is wrong, but she is too weak to stand up for what is right. Although she knows that Sarah Good is innocent, for example, she cannot help but to follow the other girls instead of using her own mind. “When she come into the court I say to myself, I must not accuse this woman, for she sleep in ditches, and so very old and poor. But then...I hear a voice, a screamin’ voice, and it were my voice- and all at once I remembered everything she done to me!” (Miller 57). Mary knows that Sarah Good never did anything to her, but she cannot bring herself to go against the crowd. Even though Mary is friends with Abigail, she knows that what Abby is doing is wrong. Although Abigail has no remorse for her plan to kill Elizabeth Proctor, Mary breaks down into sobs when she learns that Sarah Osburn will hang upon her conviction. Unlike Abby, Mary’s conscience eventually leads her to attempt to do the right thing and help John Proctor.
John Proctor and his wife...