Justice and Corruption in The Crucible
Arthur Miller’s dramatic trials in The Crucible depicts a period in history that is completely different from the contemporary policies and laws. The story paints a picture of a time in history where people live under a single over-riding system of belief that is blind to anything else. Referring to the historical context in which the story occurs, the movie shows how this oppressive system of belief can effectively impede meaningful justice not only of rational argument but also of mercy. Most important, the story explicitly illuminates how the justice system was corrupted to unjustly execute innocent people, particularly as demonstrated in the affair between Abigail Williams and John Proctor. This undue practice of law actually mirrors the corruption witnessed in the modern day justice system. The only thing the trial judges primarily base their flawed reasoning is the overriding religious belief, which jeopardizes their delivery of meaningful justice. The corruption of the justice system is best illustrated by the analysis of substantive issues and facts in a number of scenes in the film.
The Flawed Conduct of Judges in The Crucible
The justice system, especially the presiding judges, are expected by the law to stick to the stipulated procedures when presiding over cases, particularly over the examination of witnesses and presentation of evidence. Using such guidelines properly can help the judges to not only make court procedures effective for determining the truth but also protect parties from harassment or undue harassment. However much the story is interesting, there are numerous instances where the conduct of most of the judges is called into question. The underlying narrative of the story stems from the assumption that witchcraft actually exists. In light of today’s law in the US, witchcraft is an invisible crime. From my perspective, The Crucible is characterized by religious emotions, ignorance, long-standing mutual hostility, and personal biases, which are toxically integrated and transform into a horrific use of judicial murder.
The Impact of False Confessions
Tituba’s adventure with the girls in the woods was enough evidence to prosecute the team. However, this could not happen considering the historical context. In the time-table the actual story takes place, children were perceived to be innocent creatures who could cause no harm to anyone. These overriding religious beliefs largely informed the decision of the judges not to hang them (Miller 44). The fact-finder undertook proper investigations into the incidence in the woods that led Tituba’s confession. Hale subject Tituba to rapid, successive compound questions that pressure her to make a false confession (Miller 36). This kind of rapid questioning is consistent with the way questioning is utilized in courts as an effective tactic for arriving at the truth. In fact, failure to execute Tituba inspired the other girls to manipulate every person into believing that they actually saw the devil (Miller 46).
The Tragic Consequences of False Testimonies
The court takes the false confession seriously and even proceeds to arrest any individual indicted in the case. The belief leads to the handing of several characters in the story, including John Proctor, John Proctor, and Rebecca Nurse, among a host of other innocent victims (Miller 123). The court realizes the inexistence of the devil when it is too late. Through false confessions, the story clearly mirrors how people turn on each other easily by manipulating the law to brutally settle scores or unduly punish people they perceive to be a threat to them or simply those they hate. The witnesses choreographed their court presentations to avert execution. Rebecca Nurse succumbed to the false a false testimony, did not stand a chance with the court. Similarly, John Proctor indeed becomes a victim of the situation and even hangs himself.
The Judge's Dilemma
One apparent lesson from this story is that sentencing judges face a hard time determining the truth. Throughout the movie, the judges are constantly wrestling with the issue of witchcraft. However, most of the judges fail to take into account substantial mitigating factors like the motive and the likely cause of the problem. They largely focus on imaginary issues in line with the existing religious law that strictly defines what is wrong and right. This is totally contrary to the contemporary law and justice practice in which trial judges largely consider the facts brought before the court when sentencing offenders.
Work Cited
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: Revised Edition. Penguin, 1996.
