Self-Deception and Moral Integrity in Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible'

One of the play's protagonists, John Proctor, battles with his own type of deception – self-deception. To protect his reputation, he first avoids involvement in the witch trials, unwilling to expose his connection with Abigail, which would jeopardize his name. However, his moral integrity eventually pushes him to confront his lies, prompting him to publicly confess his faults in an effort to expose Abigail's deception. This act of honesty, while ultimately leads to his demise, reinforces Miller's condemnation of a culture that values appearance over truth, demonstrating that true integrity necessitates confronting hard facts, even at tremendous personal cost.