Comparison Of Elizabeth And John Proctor In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

In the book The Crucible by Arthur Miller many characters were portrayed throughout the book. The two characters I am going to go into depth about are Elizabeth and John Proctor. Elizabeth and her husband, John Proctor, were accused of witchcraft, tried, and sentenced to hang. Elizabeth Bassett Proctor, was born to William and Lexi Burt Basset in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1652. She grew up to marry John Proctor, who was about 20 years older than her, on April 1, 1674. John, who had been married twice previously, was already well established, living on the Downing farm on the outskirts of Salem, in what is now known as Peabody. He also owned a tavern on Ipswich Road in Salem, which Elizabeth would help him manage. The couple eventually had six children.

Elizabeth was at risk of being targeted because her grandmother was Ann Holland Basset Burt, a Quaker and a midwife, who was brought up on charges of witchcraft in 1669. As she was not a doctor,

On August 19, 1692, John Proctor was hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem. Elizabeth, however, would not immediately be hanged because she was pregnant. She would give birth to a son, she named John after his deceased father, on January 27, 1693. The witch hysteria had died down and her execution did not follow through. Elizabeth and her newborn son remained in jail until May, 1693, when Massachusetts Gov. William Phips ordered a general release freeing all of those prisoners who remained jailed. After, she had no home to return to, as all of their possessions had been seized after they were convicted. And John, had left her out of his will, she could not claim any of the property. She and her children then lived with her step-son Benjamin Proctor. On September 22, 1699, Elizabeth married her second husband, Daniel Richards, in Lynn, Massachusetts. And had other children. It is unknown when Elizabeth Proctor