Finding the Truth Clouded in Emotions

One of my favorite characters in any type of media is one of the first things most people see upon entering this blog. He's the one on the banner that no one knows about (probably): looking all smug on the right side, Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth himself. I mention him not because I want to enlighten the world of his presence, but because he reminds me of John Proctor.

John Proctor, the supposed hero of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, attempts to use logic and reasoning to dissuade the townsfolk from continuing the witch trials. He reveals the holes in the judgment of others, and he demands proof or a valid reason behind their actions. Some are taken aback by his reluctance, as can be seen with Cheever when he stutters to answer "What signifies a poppet?" (Miller 772; Act 2) and provides no clear response to such. Proctor notices that many of the accused had histories of "upright reputation[s]" (245; Act 3), yet they were still convicted of being witches. He gives up his own name to expose the truth: by exposing his relationship with Abigail, Proctor proves (or at least tries to, before Elizabeth wasted his last chance) that his wife had no motive for kicking Abigail out. To justify this, he himself said that people won't "cast away [their] good name" (846-847; Act 3), proving that there is no reason for him to lie.  However, Proctor seemingly loses to the emotionality created by the hysteria, as he is ultimately sentenced to die.

Miles Edgeworth, the renowned prosecutor of the Ace Attorney series, attempts to use logic and reasoning to uncover the truth. He finds contradictions in the testimony of witnesses, and he asks for vital evidence and his opponents' own opinions before they jump to conclusions. Many of his witnesses lie (or have misconceptions) to protect their own ideas of what is right: they cling onto their emotions. He has many adversaries that try to stop him in his quest, but Edgeworth manages to disprove all their theories and accusations through evidence, observations, and investigations. He even risks his Prosecutor's Badge and becomes a defense attorney's assistant (which is the opposite of a prosecutor) to reveal what really happened, and, in the end, he always uncovers the truth. What did Edgeworth do right and where did Proctor go wrong?

The truth of the matter (that was intentional) is this: he didn't. Edgeworth's only goal is to find the truth, and he succeeds in doing so. There is little to no difference in the way Proctor and Edgeworth go about finding the truth (which Proctor does in a roundabout way, even if he does not explicitly mention this to be his goal), so there should be no difference in results. Proctor is sentenced to death, but his final act of defiance is what gives him the last laugh and what makes him the victor. He tears up his confession; he justifies his actions with the fact that the court has taken everything from him: he "[has] given them [his] soul," but he does not have another name (729-720; Act 4). He clings on to reasoning to the very end, and people have noticed that. His very actions and words have convinced Reverend Hale of his argument: Salem has no witches, and the whole mess is an elaborate act set up by the girls. Even some townspeople side with him: after his arrest, barely 30 people (which sounds like a lot for what I can assume is a small town, but Parris says otherwise) came for his excommunication, and Reverend Parris even had a (very sad excuse for a) murder attempt. For John Proctor himself to be arrested, there must be something very wrong with the events taking place in Salem. The town clearly agrees with Proctor; as such, he has planted the seed of logic in the streets of emotion that has only started to grow. Emotionality doesn't overpower logic; logic reveals the truth that triumphs over emotionality.