In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows how ordinary people can become diabolical by eliminating the truth and scapegoating innocent people. The citizens of Salem belong to a very strict religious group called the Puritans. Puritans believed in simple living and did not have parties, dances, or celebrations. At the beginning of the story John Proctor, the main protagonist, has an affair with Abigail. Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor's wife, eventually finds out and banishes Abigail, the main antagonist, from her home. Abigail fears that John Proctor will forget her while Elizabeth is still in his life. This fear drives her to ask Tituba, a slave of Barbatos, to perform a ritual that would make John love her once again. Many of Abigail's friends accompany her, both to win their true love and to escape the suffocating daily life. Their expedition takes a turn for the worse when Reverend Parris finds them dancing around a cauldron in the middle of the woods. After realizing they had been captured, some girls fainted while the others flew to the scene. The fainting of the two girls made Salem fear witchcraft so much that they called in the region's witchcraft expert, Reverend Hale. While being interrogated by Hale, Abigail fears for her life and tries to pin the blame on Tituba. Tituba falsely confesses that she has dealt with the devil and scapegoated numerous other people, allowing fear to win once again. Seeing a way out, Abigail and her friends begin to blame more and more innocent people. However, the search for scapegoating doesn't stop with Abigail, as each accused "witch" is forced to falsely accuse herself and those around her out of fear of death. The city of Salem is driven by fear. They fear the Devil, God and themselves. They... middle of paper... get closer to the truth. This fire is like a giant star, once lit, it burns with increasing intensity until it explodes and collapses on itself, taking with it all the light and hope it helped create. Proctor ultimately sacrifices his life to prevent this catastrophe from exploding to supernova proportions. In 1692 Salem Massachusetts was visited by a devil. However, this devil was not the Devil of Hell, rather the devil that resides within all of us. Arthur Miller shows how if one acts like something enough, one might actually become a reincarnation and a slave to the idea one fought so hard to protect. This book demonstrates that not every action has an equal and opposite reaction, but that every action matters in the long run. Miller urges his reader not to judge people based on their ideas and to live life without blaming others for their problems.