Elizabeth Foils In The Crucible

Proctor: Elizabeth, tell the truth! (...) Elizabeth I have confessed it! Elizabeth: Oh, God (...)

Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor only seem to have one thing in common to readers: their love for John Proctor. Although John Proctor does not feel the same way towards Abigail and even says, “My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!”(Arthur 111), when talking about the innocence of his wife and the promiscuity of his mistress, Abigail Williams. While Abigail is young and naive, Elizabeth is mature and wise. Elizabeth uses her wisdom to recognize the flaws of the young girl to ultimately conclude that Abigail’s accusations of witchcraft were not true.

This can be seen through the variety of techniques that Shakespeare uses in Othello to portray the toll the deteriorating relationship between Othello and Desdemona has on their self-worth as their true identities as being confident in their status as faithful and loving marital partners are lost through the manipulations of Iago. It is also highlighted through Iago’s duplicitous nature and the irony of his façade as ‘honest’ Iago. Lionel Shriver also uses many different techniques in WNTTAK to convey this concept such as the narrator Eva Khatchadourian’s insecure feelings about her role as a mother due to her own son’s rejections and the juxtaposition of it in contrast with the strong relationship that she develops with her daughter. It can also be seen through her inability to belong to the suburban house that husband picked out in accordance with his patriotic view of a perfect American

Elizabeth’s loyalty and sympathy are portrayed when she attempts to save her husband’s reputation by lying about his affair. She also proves her loyalty to Proctor, telling a lie to try and protect him although this sadly makes things worse for him. She was determined in what she believed. Elizabeth stated this about witchcraft to Hale “ I cannot think the Devil may own a women’s soul, Mr. Hale, when she keeps an upright way, as I have. I am a good women, I know it; and if you believe I may do only good work in the world, and yet be secretly bound in Satan, then I must tell you, sir, I do not believe it”.

The connation of horror can be expressed in many different ways. One may not be able to decipher what qualifies as horror and what does not. In the story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman seeks to show the reader the submissive role women were expected to play in marriages in the twentieth century. The reader is immediately aware of the condescending manner in which the physician husband addresses his wife. The husband professes love and concern for his wife, but denies her a sense of reality and inflicts his will in ways that he cannot realize is detrimental to her condition.

(Miller 463).  Parris claims that Tituba was speaking spells while Abigail retaliates with “She always sings her Barbados songs, and we dance.” (Miller 463).  Abigail pleads with Parris “Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it- and I’ll be whipped if I must be.

It would give her great pleasure to bid me from this world. “She thinks to kill me.” (Act 2,pg 60) and dance with Proctor upon my grave. Her desire to see my lifeless body lay without breath in the grounds of Salem. Her desire to see a helpless John, that would come running back to her warmth.

Arthur Miller based his play, The Crucible, on Salem Witch Trials, a real case that happened in the deeply religious New England region during the 1690s. The fear-of-witches is one of the most important elements that affects the characters’ actions and changes their minds due to the contentious time period that the play is set in. John Proctor is the main character in this play. His personality changes totally from the beginning to the end. Through the play, he goes from a selfish person who betrays his wife to someone who truly wants to make everything become normal and not violate his conscience.

John feels guilty and realizes

She does this to take Elizabeth's place in John Proctor's life. Second, he proves his love and caringness to Elizabeth in Act III when defending her firing of Abigail Williams. He states to Danforth, ¨I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name- you will believe me, Mr. Danforth!

There is no such thing as the truth, people lie and others continue to believe them. Except one, John Proctor from the beginning of the play is on the side of justice, and finding the truth. From the beginning of the play he questions the idea of witchcraft, and believes that it is just another act from Abigail Williams. An example of how Proctor is always on the side of truth is when he is in court and he confesses to having an affair with Abigail Williams. "A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now.

She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands. I know you must see it now” (III.

“Let you look for the goodness in me, and judge me not.” John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth Proctor both endure a crucible or severe moral test. Elizabeth is put to the test various times during the play including when she was asked if her husband is a adulterer. John Proctor makes the descion to admit he had relations with Abigail williams.