The crucible character study. 'The Crucible' Characters: Meet Reverend John Hale 2022-12-13
The crucible character study Rating:
6,9/10
498
reviews
The Crucible is a play by Arthur Miller that tells the story of the Salem witch trials of 1692. The play is set in the puritanical town of Salem, Massachusetts, where a group of young girls claim to be possessed by the devil and accuse several members of the community of witchcraft. The play is a commentary on the McCarthyism of the 1950s, in which Miller himself was accused of being a communist.
One of the main characters of The Crucible is John Proctor, a farmer and landowner who is initially resistant to the hysteria of the Salem witch trials. Proctor is a strong and independent man who values his reputation and is unwilling to compromise his beliefs, even when it means going against the authority of the town. He is initially skeptical of the accusations of witchcraft and tries to expose the girls as frauds, but eventually becomes caught up in the hysteria himself when his affair with Abigail Williams, one of the main accusers, is revealed.
Abigail Williams is another central character in The Crucible. She is a young, manipulative, and vindictive woman who uses the witch trials to settle personal grudges and seek revenge on those who have wronged her. She is the one who initially accuses Elizabeth Proctor, John's wife, of being a witch, and is the driving force behind the hysteria that engulfs Salem. Despite her youth, Abigail is a powerful and manipulative figure, using her charms and wit to deceive and manipulate those around her.
Elizabeth Proctor is John's wife and a devoted mother and wife. She is a quiet and reserved woman who values her reputation and is deeply concerned about her husband's involvement in the witch trials. Despite her own misgivings about the accusations of witchcraft, Elizabeth tries to support her husband and protect her family.
Reverend John Hale is a respected member of the Salem community who is initially called in to investigate the accusations of witchcraft. He is a well-educated man who believes in the power of the devil and is convinced that the girls are telling the truth. However, as the trials progress, Hale begins to have doubts about the veracity of the accusations and becomes increasingly disillusioned with the proceedings.
The Crucible is a complex and thought-provoking play that explores the dangers of mass hysteria and the consequences of allowing fear and distrust to consume a community. The characters of John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Proctor, and Reverend John Hale all play a crucial role in the events of the Salem witch trials, and their actions and motivations serve as a commentary on the human capacity for good and evil.
'The Crucible' Character Study: Rebecca Nurse
Miller distinguishes tragic heroism through this character, describing Proctor as a calm and independent man, yet also a sinner with a tortured soul. Instead, he reminds the Puritans that protocol is better than rash conclusions. And so his sons will have his farm. Many of Parris' parishioners, including the Proctor family, have stopped attending church on a regular basis; his sermons of hellfire and damnation have shunned many of Salem's residents. This is a power play as well, as he fears that the residents may cast him out of the town and, therefore, wants an official claim to his property. Frenzy becomes larger than the influences of rational voices in the community, making it insurmountable, overriding logic and is enhanced and intensified by the presence of people acting out on their fear.
I see now your spirit twists around the single error of my life, and I will never tear it free! Still, a few residents, such as Mr. Because of his unpopularity, he feels persecuted by many of the citizens of Salem. Arthur Miller uses his characters as tools to convey the extent of the mass hysteria in Salem during the witch trials. She then takes advantage of the hysteric environment to later accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft and have Elizabeth arrested. Through characterization of the attributes of several characters, Arthur Miller conveys that the delirium and panic otherwise known as mass hysteria can dramatically effect a town by tearing its people apart.
"The Crucible," a Play by Arthur Miller: John Proctor
An additional character that hints at the devastation in a town of hysteria is Giles Corey. Instead, John Proctor speaks his mind when he recognizes injustice. A tragic hero, like John Proctor, is created when the protagonist uncovers the source of his downfall. Proctor's Kindness and Anger John Proctor is a kind man in many ways. Mary is one of few souls that have knowledge of the affair, and she is motivated by her fear of what Abigail is capable of doing to her if she spoke word of it, as well as her fear of getting in trouble.
The outcome of those actions is that his sons inherit his land and his Protagonist John Proctor, emphasizes the journey of hysteria because his actions unravel a major series of events in Salem. Nurse also utters one of the more subtle and realistic lines of the play. If the protagonist were a flawless hero, there would be no tragedy, even if the hero died at the end. Character Study of Reverend Parris of 'The Crucible'. In Act One, the audience first sees him entering the Parris household to check on the health of the reverend's ill daughter. When Proctor accomplishes this, he has the strength to stand up to the morally bankrupt society and dies in defense of truth. He states, "We cannot look to superstition in this.
Character Study of Reverend Parris in 'The Crucible'
Don't use plagiarized sources. Yet, to people such as Hale, and apparently many audience members, Satan is a very real being and therefore the joke about superstition fell flat. Relationship to other characters? Hale is the compassionate and logical minister who comes to Salem to investigate claims of witchcraft after young Betty Parris is struck with a mysterious illness. Proctor's Pride and Self-Esteem Proctor's character contains a caustic blend of pride and self-loathing, a very puritanical combination indeed. The hysteria propagated by Abigail is a central topic in the play.
How Elizabeth Proctor's Character Shapes The Crucible
And then she close her book and walks out of the house, and suddenly- mark this- I could pray again! Though it is his specialty, Hale does not immediately call out any sorcery. So he stand mute, and died Christian under the law. When his own daughter falls ill, his main worries are not for her health but for what the town will think of him if they suspect there is witchcraft in his home. I have it from an honest man who heard Putnam say it! Parris, on the other hand, demands to have the deed to his home. Nurse's unfortunate end coincides with the curtain that closes this play, even though we never see it happen. Even after Abigail steals his money and runs away, he never admits fault, making his character all the more frustrating to behold.
'The Crucible' Characters: Meet Reverend John Hale
His self-esteem sets him apart from other members of the town, such as the Putnams, who feel one must obey authority at all costs. They claim that witches are in Salem, but he contends that they should not jump to conclusions. Several characters in The Crucible take that advantage and thrive on the phenomenon. If he didn't have them, he wouldn't be a tragic hero. It is the punctuation mark on Miller's commentary on 'witch hunts' whether they be in 1690s Salem or the 1960s round up of alleged communists in America which prompted his writing this play. Many characters react to the phenomenon in their own individual ways; if not standing up to the hysteria, some use it to fulfill their selfish desires or avenge others who have wronged them.
'The Crucible' Character Study: Who is Judge Danforth?
An environment is established in which characters can act out on grudges. He wants to save John Proctor from the hangman's noose, but only because he worries that the town may rise against him and perhaps kill him in retaliation. He is an icy character who firmly believes that Abigail Williams and the other girls are incapable of lying. Because, to Miller, the concept of the Devil is inherently superstitious. In fact, he helped construct the town's church. Putnam, do favor his harsh sense of spiritual authority. Throughout the play, he openly disagrees with the actions of Reverend Parris, a choice that ultimately leads to his execution.
Throughout the play, Giles emerges from being a stubborn, foolish old man to a true and honorable hero, showing respect for his wife and sons when he withstands the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. John, pity me, pity me! On the one hand, he takes pride in his farm and his community. As accusations of witchcraft progressingly occur, a thematic significance of hysteria quickly builds throughout the town of Salem. Proctor is clearly agonized by his disloyalty to his wife, and the torn agony projects his heroic characteristics as he depicts his inner struggle against himself and his self-perception. You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife" Abigail Williams. Even with adversaries, he is slow to anger. As the prisoners are led to the gallows, Rebecca stumbles.
