Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft in a court case called the Salem Witch Trials and 19 people were executed, in a court case called the Salem Witch Trials. A play expressing the feelings of the people of Salem was shown. In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, many difficult decisions are made and life lessons learned. Lies and deception, respect and reputation, compassion and forgiveness are the main themes that appear in the show. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Three Major Themes of “The Crubicle” The first major theme in this play is lies and deception. This play makes the radical case that no kind of justified deception can ever be truly justified. Most of the characters in The Crucible lie. If not to other people, then at least to themselves. Abigail lies about her ability to see spirits, as do the other girls in the play. Proctor is guilty of a few things. First for having cheated on his wife and then for hiding it. the judge, lieutenant governor, and ministers lie to themselves and everyone else by saying they serve the cause of God's justice. The twist in the story is that by telling the truth you die, but you also gain your freedom. Another important theme in this play is respect and reputation. Reputation is extremely important in a city where social status is linked to the ability to follow religious rules. Your good name is the only way to convince other people to do business with you or even just get a fair hearing. Even reputation means nothing when you have an accusation of witchcraft before your eyes. But reputation is what made Reverend Hale begin to doubt whether the accused were actually guilty. And it is for the sake of his reputation and that of his friends that John Proctor refuses to sign a false confession. He would have, quite literally, preferred to die. Although John Proctor goes to his death falsely convicted as a witch, he earns a reputation and respect among those who matter, such as his wife, because he refuses to falsely identify his friends and neighbors as witches. Abigail's loss of reputation towards the end of the play shows that the characters in The Crucible ultimately gain the reputation they deserve, despite any personal tragedies that may occur along the way. The third important theme in this work is compassion and forgiveness. John Proctor is in desperate need of forgiveness at the beginning of the play. But his wife seems torn about whether to grant it. He committed adultery earlier that year while she was ill, and although his lover Abigail is now out of his life, Elizabeth still judges him for it. More importantly, he continues to judge himself. It is only when Elizabeth forgives him and admits his own shortcomings that John Proctor is able to forgive himself. It is also what gives him the courage to face death. Even though John Proctor wants his wife's forgiveness, he actually needs to forgive himself, just as she says. Even though Elizabeth Proctor claims that John is his own worst judge and needs to forgive himself, she is justified in thinking that in her heart he is not yet entirely faithful. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, The Crucible is a play that expresses the feelings of the people of Salem. In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, many difficult decisions were made and life lessons learned. Lies and deception, respect:.