I think that there are plenty of examples from The Crucible to prove that conflict brings out the worst in people. From Proctor's inability to confess and be transparent about the affair, to the society that forces false confessions to witchcraft out of prisoners, to Abigail's character (or lack of it), there are plenty of instances where one sees how internal and external conflict brings out the very worst in human beings and in society in general. The argument Miller makes in his depiction of conflict and its effect on society is that "the best lack all conviction, while the worst are filled with passionate intensity." While the previous was a line from Yeats' poem The Second Coming, I think it is highly applicable here. In terms of finding examples where we see the best of people brought out through conflict, I think Giles Corey, admittedly concerned about his land, refuses to confess to the crime of being a witch. His demand of "more weight" could be a symbolic move by Miller to show that in the midst of a complete social meltdown through conflict, there are individuals who will assume the courage to take the consequences of simply representing and speaking the truth. Concerned with his children's inheritance and their ability to live a life without stain on their character, Corey refuses to capitulate to a false confession and pays the price for commitment to his notion of truth and identity. This might be one instance where good in human beings is illuminated in crisis.
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