Elizabeth: “There is a promise made in any bed ---” (Miller 58).
Fallacy: Straw man fallacy

Speaker: Elizabeth

Context: John and Elizabeth were arguing about Abigail. Elizabeth then brings up the promise John made to Abigail to make it difficult for him to defend himself. This makes it look like she was right and that he was wrong.

Proctor: “Elizabeth, you bewilder him!”

Elizabeth: “I cannot think the Devil may own a woman’s soul, Mr. Hale, when she keeps an upright way, as I have. I am a good woman, I know it; and if you believe I may d only good work in the world, and yet be secretly bound to Satan, then I must tell you, sir, I do not believe it” (Miller 66).

Fallacy: Relativist Fallacy

Speaker: Elizabeth Proctor

Context: Hale is in the Proctor’s home talking to them of how Elizabeth’s name was brought up in court. He asks them in they can recite The Commandments and when Proctor falters, Elizabeth senses he distrusts her. When Hale asks her if she believes in witchcraft, which must be true as people have confessed to it, she replies that no she does not because she does not believe it applies to her.

Flaw: This is relativist fallacy because Elizabeth says that she could not possibly be a witch because she believes that she is a good woman, who has dedicated her life to God. However, the rest of the town, including Hale, seems to believe that anybody can be a witch, even the respectable people such as Goody Nurse and the innocent girls who were bewitched by Tituba. Thus, Elizabeth saying that she is not a witch because she does not believe it apply to her a good christian, but others may be because they are bad. Thus, it applies to one group but cannot apply to her.

Fallacy: Ad hominem

Speaker: John Proctor

Context: Proctor is speaking to Reverend Hale and explains that why he has not had his younger son baptized yet. This fallacy is used because Proctor is avoiding answering the question directly by explaining how much he doesn’t like Parris.

Fallacy: Red Herring

Speaker: Mary Warren

Context: Proctor and Mary are having a confrontation when Mary changes the subject by giving the news that Goody Proctor is pregnant

Quote: Mary Warren: “I saved her life today!”

        Elizabeth: “ I am accused?”

        Mary Warren: “Somewhat mentioned. But I said I never see no sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one, and seeing I do live so closely with you, they dismissed it”

        Elizabeth: “Who accused me?”

        Mary Warren: “I am bound by law, I cannot tell it.” (Miller 57)

Fallacy: Appealing to fear/emotion

Speaker: Mary Warren and Elizabeth 

Context: Mary Warren tries to get out of being whipped by mentioning that she saved Goody Proctor’s life that day and later appeals to fear by saying that she was accused of witchcraft. The flaw is that she never said who accused her and could be lying to save herself but they accept it because they are scared.  

Fallacy: Guilt by association

Speaker: Proctor

Context: Upon hearing that Sarah good confessed to making deals with the devil, Proctor denounced the claim by explaining that because Sarah is such a talker, the confession must be fake.

Fallacy: Extrapolation/slippery slope

Speaker: Hale

Context: Rebecca has just been accused of witchcraft and for murder of Goody Putnam’s babies. They then make this huge prediction that if this accusation is true then the entire world as they know it will never be the same and no one will ever be innocent.

Fallacy: ad hominem

Speaker: Proctor

Context: Proctor is attacking Elizabeth's character saying that she never forgives or forgets anything which is something a good person would do. Instead of arguing why John withheld information about Abigail, John attacks Elizabeth pointing out her flaws in her character.

Fallacy:Appeal to fear/scare tactics

Speaker:Proctor 

Context: The people who were confessing to the crimes were the people who were afraid to be hung. Proctor believes this is the only reason they confessed. 

Fallacy: Poisoning the well/appeal to consequences of belief

Speaker: Proctor

Context: Elizabeth and Proctor are talking about Abigail and Elizabeth is influencing proctor to out what Abigail told him that she has done but Proctor stops Elizabeth by arguing that the belief or what was told could be false unless there is some type of proof.

Fallacy: Straw Man

Speaker: Hale

Context: Hale questions Proctor for not attending church and Proctor makes an argument that he attended as much as possible and continued to pray if he couldn’t attend. Hale distorts and attacks Proctor’s argument by saying his house is not a church.

Fallacy: Red Herring

Speaker: Cheever

Context: Proctor and Cheever argue about Proctor's innocence in court. Cheever brings up religion to make the issue seem bigger. And to take attention off of the original argument. 

Fallacy: Faulty Causality.

Speaker: Hale

Context: Rev. Hale believes is suspicious of the Proctors being witches because John Proctor does not attend church on Sunday. Proctor does not attend church because he believes Parris is not capable of being the minister. 

Fallacy: Cause and effect

Speaker: Hale

Context: Because Mary stabbed a needle into the doll she gave to Elizabeth, and the same thing happened to Abigail, Elizabeth is now being accused of murder.

Fallacy: Non Sequitur 

Speaker: Mary Warren 

Context: Marry Warren speaks of Goody Proctor trying to convince that Goody Proctor attempted to kill her by using the example of her coming to Mary Warren’s door, and two days later she had stomach pains. This shows her trying to justify her argument with evidence that really has no logical connection. 

Fallacy: Appeal to false authority

Speaker: Mary Warren

Context: Mary comes back to Proctor's home with the news that she has been appointed to a council trying witches, and she believes that now that she knows and has contact with important people, she deserves respect.

Fallacy: Post hoc or Hasty Generalization

Speaker: Elizabeth

Context: Elizabeth is trying to explain when in a courtroom, women that are accused of witchcraft and witchery can be stated guilty if people yell around them.  This leads the judge to believe that she is a witch.

Fallacy: Questionable Authority

Speaker: Goody Putnam

Context: Paris wanted Rev Hale

Fallacy: Slippery slope

Speaker: Elizabeth Proctor

Context: Elizabeth is talking about Abigail, and how when she leads the other girls into the courtroom, if they all act insane, then Elizabeth Proctor believes that Abigail has enough influence over the judges/jury to wrongly convict people without a fair trial. This is where she is flawed because her personal connection to Abigail leads her to make this false argument.