The Crucible by Arther Miller is a play, first viewed in 1954, about the Salem Witch Trials. The play takes place in Salem Massachusetts, which was then a strict Puritan town. This play is not only about the ruined lives and deaths of hundreds of people, but even more so about the selfish greed, apathy, and revenge of people in this small town. These are the main characters of the play. Several of the characters came to many crossroads in their lives and were forced to make some very important decisions. Marry Warren, Reverend Hale, and John Proctor all face big decisions that can change more than their own lives.
Marry Warren, under a lot of stress and confusion, had to make hard decisions about herself and accusations involving her closest friends. At the beginning of the play Marry Warren and her friends Abbigal Williams and Betty Parris secretly go into the woods with the Parriss slave Tittuba. While in the forest the girls are dancing and playing while Tittuba sings songs for them. They are all having a fun time but are then caught by Reverend Parris. Terrified of the trouble they are in and not responsible enough to except their punishment the girls blame Tittuba. They accuse Tittuba of using witchcraft on them. While all of this commotion is going on Marry is confused and scared. While talking to Abby she considers just telling the truth, arguing back and forth Marry says that I never done non of it, Abby. I only looked. Then Abby reminds Marry of the things that will happen to all of them if the confess. This is hard decision for Marry to make, but she decides to go along with Abby. Later, in act two of the play, John Proctor finds out that Marry Warren and the girls were only dancing in the woods and insist that Marry tell the court the truth. Marry is petrified and lost in confusion. Proctor screams at her to confess the truth, but she keeps saying that (She) cannot, they will turn on me. Marry is afraid that her friends will accuse her of being a witch like they have easily done to so many others. This is the braking point for Marry, an opportunity to decide for good or evil. She wants to cleans her self of sins and tell proctor she will confess in court. At court Marry begins her confession but it is hard. She doesnt seem confident enough to accuse her best friends of fraud, but she goes on. As she continues she is constantly badgered and breaks down. Abby and Betty, in the middle of testimony, start screaming and saying that the devil is in Marry. Marry panics and claims that she is not touched by the devil but Proctor is, shouting, Youre the devils man!. These are all very hard decisions and consequences to face. Unfortunately Marry cannot fallow through with the truth. While Marry struggles with her troubles many others face their own.
Reverend Hale is nearing forty, a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual, and has already been involved with the mysteries of witchcraft. Even still he is baffled by the events and accusation in Salem and is faced to question the beliefs of others and himself. As he conducts his business in Salem trying to solve who is behind witchcraft he begins to think that some of the accused are innocent. He also begins to question these accusations of the girls. The girls accuse Elizabeth Proctor, who has never lied once, of witchcraft. Hale realizes that this cant be true and believes John Proctor in saying the same, but he is still not sure. In a conversation between the two men Hale tells proctor that I cannot judge her guilty or innocent- I know not. Only this consider: the world goes mad, and it profit nothing you should lay the cause to the vengeance of a little girl.. Here you can start to see Hale begin to sway in his beliefs but is still caught up in confusion. Later in the play Proctor is sentenced to hang for witchcraft and Hale know knows that Proctor is innocent. Hale fights for Proctors life and feels
