“ John- grant me this. You have a faulty understanding of young girls. There is a promise made in any bed-” (Miller 1298). Elizabeth Proctor is John Proctor's wife in the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. Elizabeth has been keeping a cold house and judges John everytime he comes and goes for seven months since John had an affair with their 17 year old servant, Abigail. Even though she fires Abigail and John is straightforward and completely honest with Elizabeth, she will not forgive John. Elizabeth feels like she has done nothing wrong, but has she really? Elizabeth in the course of the play has a change of heart and goes from thinking she is a saint and completely honest to seeing her sins, and then she lies to protect her husband
In Arthur Miller's’ The Crucible, jealousy and mistrust are the most dominant emotions Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor shares for one another. Their jealousy and mistrust are rooted in their desire for John Proctor's love, which inevitably leads to the compromise of their Puritan morals of their society. At the beginning of the play, Betty Parris confirms Abigail Williams true motivation to kill Elizabeth Proctor. “You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor” (Miller 19). Abigail’s eagerness to kill Goody Proctor has displayed the depth of her desire for Proctor. She is willing to go to greater extents, such as murder to get rid of Goody Proctor and have John all to herself. This is the hidden
This shows that John is a merciful being and desires forgiveness from his wife and God, therefore demonstrating traits of a good man. Furthermore, John has a heated argument with his wife, due to his encounter with Abigail, alone. Although, he thinks his wife will doubt him, she states on the contrary, “I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John - only somewhat bewildered” (55). This quote reveals, Elizabeth’s genuine understanding and faithfulness in her husband. She believes that John carries the burden of his own guilt, which is a lucid indication that he has a sense of morality. John feels this guilt, as he recognizes and takes responsibility for the sin he commits, against his wife. Additionally, due to John’s guilty conscience, he also realizes the value and tenderness that his wife brings him. He accepts his misdoings, and never utters a blame against his wife, for his actions. This shows that John is a very humble and prudent man, which are significant qualities of a good man.
Elizabeth had suspected John of the affair which is the reason she fired Abigail from working in their house. However her suspicions resurface once women in the town begin being accused of witchcraft. This is because John confesses to Elizabeth of the conversation between him and Abigail and states that all the accusations from Abigail are a fraud. Elizabeth, although angry that John was alone with Abigail, she tells John that he must go to court with this knowledge. John tells her that he will think on it but he shows that he has no intentions of doing so. With this, Elizabeth sees that he is holding on the information and believes that he is doing so because of his fondness of Abigail; “John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not.” (54 Miller). Elizabeth sees that his hesitation is due to the fact that it is against Abigail he must act on. This reluctance is what causes Elizabeth to lose faith in her husband. Although she does not stop loving him, she no longer sees him as a holy man. Ultimately, the loss of faith is what breaks the trust in their marriage apart. Before Elizabeth and John can finish their conversation, news reaches them that Elizabeth had been accused of witchcraft in the courts of Salem. Although the accusations have been dismissed, Elizabeth sees the intentions behind them. Elizabeth understands that Abigail wishes to let
The Seven Deadly Sins are most commonly used in the Christian faith. They describe seven different sins that, when committed in excess, lead one’s spirit to damnation. Abigail Williams from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible commits several of these sins, including lust, envy, and wrath. These sins will also have a “domino” effect, for if one hadn’t been committed, then the other two would not have been, either. The first sin that Abigail commits is Lust. Lust can be described as “an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body”. Abigail encounters John in the first act and says, “John-I am waitin’ for you every night...I know how you clutched my back and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near,” (Miller 176-177). Abigail is referring to the affair between her and
The following essay will illustrate how Elizabeth Proctor lying to protect her husband, John Proctor, is ironic and enhances the drama in the play The Crucible. In the play this event makes John look like a liar to the court. To save his life John must sign a confession that says he practiced witchcraft, he refuses. Unfortunately this event ultimately leads to the death of John Proctor. Throughout the essay I will explain why Elizabeth lying dramatizes the play.
When Elizabeth was first introduced into the play, there was a certain type of tension in the air between her and her husband, John Proctor. He had come in for a long day of working on the farms when they got to talking about the court trials for witches and Elizabeth had wanted John to confess to the court about his sin of adultery with Abigail. John does not want to confess though
Written in 1952, Arthur Miller wrote a play known as The Crucible as an analogy to the strike the senator was putting on all the communists soon after World War II. Arthur used the Salem Witch Trials in the 1690’s to show that the same tragedies and sentences that befell people during the McCarthyism trails. Arthur used the Salem Witch Trials as a metaphor to draw national attention towards the doings and executioners of the McCarthyism propaganda. The innocent people during the McCarthyism trials relate to the situation a character known as John Proctor undergoes in the play. The Crucible is a tale about love, lies, and doing whatever it possibly takes to take down or protect
How can a righteous lady and a vindictive woman both be drawn to the same man? Better said, how can one man be involved with such different women? Apparently, these mysteries will forever remain unsolved. However, Arthur Miller surely knows how to deal with this controversy in his play The Crucible, through the characters of Elizabeth and Abigail. These completely opposite women serve as foils for each other since the differences between them help highlight their individual persona. John Proctor represents the connection between these two women. Thus, he is Elizabeth’s husband but has an affair with Abigail. This fact immediately opens the reader’s eyes towards how one’s flaws or mistakes can reveal other person’s qualities and virtues.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, villagers of Salem demonstrate greed through the service their self interests, whether it be preservation of reputation, or land possession, despite conducting unjust acts. Arthur Miller, in turn, uses the setting of the play, Abigail’s willingness to perjure in preservation of her desires, and imagery to highlight the importance of the greed as a social issue upon the play as a whole.
Millions of people are in unhealthy relationships, which can be identified in certain ways. In the tragedy, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor, and his wife, Elizabeth Proctor have issues in their marriage. John has an affair with a girl named Abigail Williams while Elizabeth is sick. As a result, this breaks her trust in him, making her come off as cold and reserved. The nature of John and Elizabeth’s relationship is unhealthy because their words and actions towards each other reveal a sense of hostility, mistrust, and lack of affection.
American History to life, in an allegory of McCarthyism. Arthur Miller is considered one of the
‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller is a play in which there is a character, John Proctor, who is important to the theme of reputation. Proctor, in the play faces a moral dilemma of whether to confess his sin of his relationship with Abigail Williams, or allow his wife and others accused of witchcraft, to die. Miller uses an allegory in this play, using Salem as a symbol of McCarthyism in 1950s America.
The crucible, written by Arthur Miller, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Several girls are discovered dancing in the forest and are accused of witchcraft. Reverend Hale, the “spiritual doctor” is called to Salem and a witch hunt ensues. Knowing that the girls would be punished for what they did, they claim they were possessed by spirits and turn the tables by accusing other people. Abigail Williams has had a hatred for Elizabeth Proctor because she is with her lover, and that is to blame for Abigail conjuring spirits in the first place. To Abigail, John Proctor should be with her and the only thing keeping John from her is Elizabeth. Since Abigail Williams is motivated by her desire for revenge on Elizabeth, her attempt to kill her leads to her giving up and leaving by the end of the play.