Preview

Persuasive Letter From The Crucible

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
608 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Persuasive Letter From The Crucible
Anne Rebecca Nurse
535 Cedar Avenue
Holy Help, MA 02136

Deputy Governor Danforth
424 Devil’s Drive
Bad Decisions, MA 02461

Dear Deputy Governor Danforth,

My husband and I arrived in Salem two weeks ago to visit my grandmother Mrs. Nurse, only to find her accused of cavorting with the devil. My grandmother is a lady of good reputation as are many other people that have been accused. The girls of Salem have taken over your court saying that they saw the devil and wrote their names in his black book. Yet, they are idolized by many citizens and by your court. However, they do not deserve this lofty position. Furthermore, they are abusing this power by accusing innocent and prosperous people of witchcraft. They are deceptive dissemblers. Therefore, the witch trials, as
…show more content…
Proctor. Just outside the meeting house, my husband and I heard her saying to Mr. Proctor, “Oh I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be...” (Pearson, 1246). Abigail covets John and it appears she would do anything to steal him from his wife. There is an additional rumor that John confessed in court. The girls were discussing that they heard him say, I have known her, sir. This convicts Mr. Proctor as a lecher, but it also convicts Abigail of being a common whore. The court is raising up Abigail, and they are forgetting the reason the witch hunt was started.

Abigail is also accusing women of good repute, like my godly grandmother, Rebecca Nurse (Emotional). In the town if Abigail walks anywhere, “the crowd will part like the sea for Israel” (Pearson, 1296). Abigail is compared to Moses; our community has truly gone to the hell if this is true (Ethical). The town considers her a saint, and I only hope you have not been convinced of this yet. My grandmother is a godly woman and an innocent victim. She is being targeted simply because she was trying to persuade you to stop the trials

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Elizabeth Proctor is a kind, caring woman who loves God and has never strayed from the path of the lord. Abigail Williams is a girl who has disobeyed at least three of the Ten Commandments of the lord most notably thou shan’t lie and thou shan’t covet thy neighbor’s wife or husband. Goody Proctor is falsely accused of witchcraft whereas Abigail is the one going left and right accusing people of being a witch. What most people don’t realize is that Abigail wanted John Proctor for herself and would do anything to do so. Elizabeth has done nothing wrong in the town of Salem yet everyone believes the voice of a 12 year old girl. To summarize the story, John Proctor is a man of god.…

    • 235 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After John Proctor has an affair with Abigail Williams, he is filled with guilt and he does not have the self-respect to forgive himself for what he had done. He is bothered with his disgrace, only because he knows in his heart the one day he will have to confess to his sins and ruin his reputation. There was a trial in court for all the witchcraft going on in Salem. His wife (Elizabeth) is being tried for witchcraft. She was accused by…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The confrontation of evil in society is a key characteristic of a Christ figure. Proctor ostends this attribute clearly as he tries to reverse the witch trials, while the rest of the townsfolk idly observe as chaos reigns in Salem. Proctor brought forth to the court saying that, “I believe she means to murder”(217), speaking of his adolescent mistress Abigail Williams, who is the girl responsible for the verdict of who is innocent and guilty of witchcraft. In an attempt to halt the trials John Proctor explains that Abigail is a murderer. John further exemplifies his capability to confront evil when he tries to stop the trials by inducing Mary Warren to confess that the girls are lying. Proctor states to Danforth that, “She only pretended to faint Your Excellency. They’re all marvelous pretenders”(218). He uses Mary’s confession as evidence in order to convince the court that the trials are fraudulent, though it is rejected, and his efforts wasted.…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the book, Proctor is happy with his life, if not guilty of cheating on his wife with his used-to-be servant, Abigail. He tries his hardest to ignore what he has done even as Abigail thrusts the town of Salem into hysteria, but once his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, is taken into custody, he can no longer overlook Abigail's influence in the town. In order to free his wife, and other people who have been accused, Proctor tries to expose Abigail as a fraud so that people would stop listening to…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Proctor fears his name’s identity, which is evident near the end of the play when he resists Deputy Danforth and Reverend Hale’s posting his name on the church door, accusing him of witchcraft (IV.712-717). John Proctor is Elizabeth Proctor’s husband, who involved in an affair with Abigail Williams when she was still working as the Proctor’s maid. Elizabeth fires Abigail, once she realizes her maid and her husband’s covert relationship. Elizabeth’s dismissal causes Abigail to become very angry, for women had little power at the time, let alone unmarried women like herself. By playing her Mafia-like wailing and doll piercing games and forcing the other Salem girl to participate, Abigail determines to terminate Elizabeth and keep John for herself (460-473). Nevertheless, the court concludes John as a witch when Elizabeth—hoping to keep the Proctor’s honor—twists the story about how she dismissed Abigail. Even though the court understands John to be innocuous man, fearing their reputation, they persist in delivering his a death sentence,…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He becomes selfless and sacrifices his reputation and his life to save everyone else in the court by the end of the Crucible. John Proctor said "You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail. And I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your own husband anymore. I have forget Abigail" (pg. 918.) In the beginning of the book, he knew he was going to hurt his neighbors from hiding what he did with Abigail, but he was so afraid about the citizens of Salem find out about his affair. John was afraid to tell the judges about his affair with Abigail because Abigail is going to ruin his reputation by charge lechery. John proctor said " I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another." (Pg. 968.) John Proctor tried to speak his own sins, confess he saw the witches to survive, and ask forgiveness for Elizabeth because it will save the others. John Proctor signed a written confession that will be hung on the courthouse door. He knew that will ruin his name and reputation in the society, but he sacrificed himself to save people who are in the prison.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    She makes her story plausible by using spectral evidence against the accused. John Proctor knows he did wrong and has repented his ways, however Abigail refuses to forget and repent; she wishes to runaway with John and stay with him. Abigail continued to lie and make threats towards others further showing her lunacy, and therefore her ties to the Devil through sins. Abigail’s accusations begin to go too far when she turns on the judge of Salem and infers that he, too, is controlled by the Devil. When Mary Warren suggested that they should confess to dancing in the woods.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Proctor appears to be an authentic, honorable, and candid man. In act one, Proctor exuberates love for authority and exercises his power to the best of his ability. Readers see through Proctor’s witty persona and analyze his fatal sin that fills him with guilt, his affair with Abigail Williams. In the midst of the play, John Proctor undergoes a plethora of self-torment and guilt. Meanwhile, the witch trials continue to be investigated. Only John can free innocent men and women tried for practicing witchcraft, but in the process will ruin his reputation. Proctor later confesses to his act of lechery and rests in the gallows with his neighbors. By doing so, John is perceived as a…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though being discovered was a concern it was lesser a problem to Proctor than the fact that innocent people, including his wife Elizabeth who was accused by Abigail, could be and are being accused of witchcraft. Despite John’s previous efforts, Abigail and her band of young women have the courts convinced, forcing John to tell the courts “I have known her” (to know meaning to have sexual relations with) in order to establish Abigail’s motives, seeing as the affair would establish Abigail as a liar in the sense that she lied about Elizabeth stabbing her (this was the way Abigail accused Elizabeth), discrediting Abigail once and for all (Miller 189). Discrediting Abigail would be a big deal since she was a great driving force to the mass hysteria. Had it not been for his love for the truth and strive for justice, these events would not have never been known. John had quite valid reasons to make these decisions, and seeing the background to these decisions and the hoped outcome, the reason was obvious, he could not see such injustice…

    • 1126 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In act one Abigail Williams was most responsible for the riotous situation in Salem. “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart”(pg 1099). Abigail is saying that John gave her hope and love. John Proctor had an affair on his wife Abigail causing her to fall in love with him. Her desire to have John for herself was a reason why all the chaos happened. Abigail would do anything to have John to herself even accuse Elizabeth, who is John’s wife,…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Proctor is a tragic hero in the efforts to save his wife’s life but sacrifices his life to preserving his pride, dignity, and truth; dying as a man with many flaws but a good man in the eyes of God. John Proctor is the common man who's making an honest living as a farmer in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. Many describe him as a virtuous, stern man who speaks his mind and is well-respected. He is a man of integrity; a harsh-tongued man whose lust led him to an affair with Abigail Williams, his former servant. This leaves a strain in his marriage and he can’t seem to forgive himself. When introduced to the story, John Proctor is a passive protagonist who does nothing to affect the main plot of the story. During this time, he is motivated by staying out of the witch hunt hysteria to save himself and his reputation. John says to Elizabeth, “I’ll think on it”(Miller, 27); John is trying to avoid getting involved in the witch hunt. His self-serving desire to be silent leads many innocent people to their deaths, leaving those responsible unaccountable. It is until Elizabeth is arrested for “witchcraft” he get involved in proving her innocence and exposing the…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John and Abigail’s affair causes Abigail to fall love with him and wanting to kill his wife. She wanted to kill Goody Proctor so she can take her place and live happily with John Proctor. This caused John Proctor to confess that he committed adultery so he can prove that the trials are fraud and also prove that his wife is…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Abigail Williams is a seventeen year old orphan, who cares more about herself than others and she values John Proctor. All throughout this book Abigail was doing multiple selfish things, trying to avoid herself getting into trouble. She lied about her and a group of girls practicing witchcraft in the forest. She also never told that she drunk blood in order to kill Elizabeth Proctor. John Proctor's wife, Elizabeth Proctor, said “I think she see another meaning in that blush.” Elizabeth knows that Abigail has something more like a special feeling about John…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    the crucible letters

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I write this letter because “I think you’re sad again. Are you?” Page 51 (Act 2). Elizabeth, you’re my beautiful wife and “I mean to please you.” Page 50 (Act 2) I loved the food you made yesterday honey, it was simply delicious. I couldn’t ask for a better wife and more from you; however I could feel you starting to hate me. I feel you don’t want my kisses no more and it makes me feel like dirt. Are you disappointed with me? I noticed you sadder, I promise you I will consider going to Salem. But anyway, you must forget about Abigail and me. All this nonsense is history and I assure you that I did not lie to you. You doubt me very minute of the day Elizabeth and I don’t appreciate it. Believe me when I say I am just as stressed as you are about all this craziness, I swear that Abigail‘s dancing had nothing to do with witchcraft. Do not judge me, just because me and Abigail were alone in a room together, it does not mean we’ve done anything evil. You know sometimes I feel as if my house is a courtroom. I must apologize though for threatening to whip Mary, I just can’t believe that you were in the accusations. I need to be calm but can’t because I know you know about Abigail... I will go to go to Salem and testify against Abigail. I apologize for being defensive; I did not want to involve myself with Abigail any longer. I know you must be embarrassed of me finding it difficult to recall the Ten Commandments of my head when Hale came. Elizabeth you must know that I am trying to save our marriage, don’t pay mind to Abigail for she is a jealous little girl, Abigail has gone too far with her jealousy and I will save you my Elizabeth.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John to the guards – Why do you follow the children of the devil. (Closes cage) just open your eyes and see the dread and fear that rules Salem.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays