Elizabeth Proctor Character Analysis Essay

Character Analysis of Elizabeth Proctor In the play, The Crucible, Elizabeth Proctor is the wife of John, who committed adultery with a 17 year old girl, Abigail Williams. Elizabeth is a dynamic character in the play, who changes her view on her husband’s wrongdoing when instead of blaming it all on him she takes some of the blame and says the some of her insecurities stopped her from believing in his love. Although she’s cold, Goody Proctor is a good wife to John, staying loyal through his trial and his imprisonment. Elizabeth is introduced to the audience in Act One when Abigail and her accomplices are talking about what they did in the forest and Betty Parris says, “You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody proctor!” (Miller, 1223). Elizabeth is described by Abigail as sickly during John’s confrontation to her in Act One. John fires back immediately telling Abby not to say a word about Elizabeth. Although John reassures her many times that he’s not with Abby anymore, she still worries that he’s having an affair because of the way Abby blushes around him at church. In the beginning of Act Two we witness a conversation between the Proctors which is an awkward conversation, where they share a kiss that has a “certain disappointment”
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Her lie then backfires; she tells the court that John never had any relations with Abigail after John had already confessed to his sin. She takes blame for the affair when she tells the court “...But in my sickness...I were a long time sick...I thought I saw my husband somewhat turning from me...” (1260). This change could be for better or worse, better because she became a more loving, understanding wife but for worse because she takes the blame for something that a woman should never take blame for because it was the man’s choice to