In the Crucible How was statement that accusations are mere pretense received?

In Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," the statement that accusations are mere pretense is met with skepticism and hostility by the community of Salem. The people of Salem are quick to believe the accusations of witchcraft made by Abigail Williams and her friends, and they are eager to punish those who are accused. They reject the idea that the accusations may be false or motivated by personal grudges, and they view anyone who questions the validity of the accusations as a threat to the community.

This skepticism and hostility is evident in the way that the community reacts to the characters of John Proctor and Reverend Hale. Proctor is one of the few people in Salem who dares to question the accusations, and he is quickly labeled as a traitor and a witch. Reverend Hale is a minister who is sent to Salem to investigate the accusations, but he too is met with resistance from the community when he begins to doubt the validity of the accusations.

The statement that accusations are mere pretense is a challenge to the authority of the community, and it is therefore met with fierce resistance. The people of Salem are afraid to admit that they may have been wrong about the accusations, and they are unwilling to consider the possibility that they have been manipulated by Abigail Williams and her friends. As a result, the statement that accusations are mere pretense is rejected, and those who make it are punished.