The Crucible was a story with a wide range of characters.
Not only appearance wise but, with different personalities a together. Many characters in this play thought differently from one and other. That is why this book had a few “twists and turns” to the story. In my profiles, I will display many different characters and theirs” different mentality.
First I will start with Mr. John Proctor, a. k. a. “shoulder checker”.
John Proctor had always things on his mind. People were always on his mind. John Proctor was always looking out for his mistakes or errors, not because he was picky, but his enemies and competition were. John Proctor was always think out the final result of a situation, like whenBetty was “spiritually reposed” early in the book (Act I, pages 6-12). John Proctor did not care about as Betty as much as the final opinion that the town would have on Proctor’s “white and pure” name. Much can be said about Proctor’s giving and understanding, but I don’t want to waste that line.
Proctor’s caring and willing to give people thanks was not his best feature. Proctor was always thing about him, himself and no one else, except the final outcome of the whole situation. Take for example the fellow that wanted to get some tree off Proctor’s land. Even though Proctor had probably no knowledge of the trees on his land, he still wanted a piece of the pie. Proctor wanted always money. He was money hungry and cheap.
Basically Proctor was a would be if he could be. Proctor was always trying to fit into the high class crowd. He would flash his power and money on the middle class or “poorer people”. But when Proctor was around people like Hale (Hale was well educated and stood up for thins kind of guy) he would try to act up to his class but he couldn’t really because inside he really knew he couldn’t.
Then the one life ending, marriage-destroying fault that Proctor would ever do was sleep with Abigail. That action right there would kill Proctor not physically (yet) but mentally would haunt him later . . . his wife.
The perfect example was when Hale approached John and Elizabeth Proctor. John Proctor was asked if he could name the seven commandments (Act II, page 65). John Proctor (with Elizabeth by his side) was able to name them all except the most crucial one, for John Proctor, Adultery. With Elizabeth knowing all the information before hand, she was totally convinced that John Proctor was indeed guilty of committing the sin of Adultery with Abigail Williams. I think John Proctor did change towards the end of the play because of he mood and situation that he was in.
At the end (Act II) John Proctor was being executed and he truly did love his wife. His moods and heart changed to tell Elizabeth how he really felt about her. John really did love her. John Proctor’s attitude really did change form me, myself and I, to who is in need the most besides me. The next character I will talk about is Abigail Williams.
Abigail was the sour apple of the bunch in this book, but really couldn’t help it because it’s hard to be a sweet apple when the roots of the tree you came from were sour. Abigail was an orphan and all. She used her body to get things or people she wanted to. Even though Abigail was almost an adult, by many she was still basically treated like a child, to be seen but not to be heard.
This was the attitude in town for all of the children. I think Abigail’s most interesting feature is that she lies through thick and thin. At the end of Act II, Abigail (under oath) was lying in order to save herself. The point is Abigail didn’t care to whom she is lying. It could be a judge or even Proctor it really didn’t make a difference to her as long as she was able to save herself. The way she lies was sometimes quite entertaining.
In Act III, Abigail thought there was a bird on the ceiling and did a good job convincing every one else that there was too. The reason Abigail did this again was to make everyone beleive that she was physco. Abigail was able many times to influence the court. She was able to have her ways with Danforth and Jugde Hathrone and the court (but many times the court was question who has the power). I guess Abigail has many split personalities. In act number one, Abigail goes threw many emotional changes and moods.
Abigail goes from violent to “peace keeping” when she holds Mercy back (page 16). Then Abibail goes to quiet then mad (page 17). Then Abigail goes to flurts with Proctor (On page 19). . I found Abigail making many thearts to people but never did go threw with them. Like when Betty (In act one) was sleeping for a long time, Abigail would threaten her saying “Get up or I”ll beat you Betty” (page 15).
I guess coming from an unstable background, people can except some weirdness from a few individualsTo put Abigail in a nutshell she is selfish, brutal, she has split personalities and she is only concerned about herself. I didn”t see any changes in Abigail in the play. I think I can prove my point by showing what down the road Abigail became. Abigail became a Prostitute in Boston (Page 140). With an outcome like that, I think Abigail really didn”t change much ever!Hale will be my last caracteur profile but certainly not the least caractor at all. Hale was the one out of them all I could fellow and understand what he was doing threw out the play.
Hale was an educated man and he would do what he beleived. Mr. Hale is a man that is going into his forties. Since he was a man very highly educated, many people called him in for his expertice on witchcraft. I think that Hale had the most logical approches to any situations than any other caracteur.
Hale would ague to everyone or anyone. Take the final act when Hale would battle it out with Danforth over many of the courts decisions. Hale would be able to analyse the sittuation that the court was not the most stertious system and Hale tried to change the courts decitions when Danforth was trying to reclame power of his own court (ironical isn”t it?). I saw many verbal threats to Hale.
The funny thing about all these threest is that either was were going to be affected physically now or spriatually later. But Hale was never scared of these threest. Hale was always always under the influence of God. The reason or event would be because of God.
Still, Hale was a friend to many people like Proctor. When the summons come for Proctor (at the end of Act I), Proctor would yell to the officers tht they should depart from his house. Hale tried to clam down Mr. Proctor but once a snowball start to roll, it is hard to freeze it in it”s tracks. But again it”s like thoses efforts that made Hale who he is. I fell that all theses caractuers made a big difference in this book (as I described above).
My reason apon picking them varies from the protagonist (Proctor) to anognist (Abigail) to the man I felt kept the ball moving with his knowladge (Hale). I enjoyed reading this book because of the turning of events, the plot that led up to the climax. The finish was touching. For a guy to say it was touching, it was a good ending.
I think the best title or subtitle for this book came from an album from a group called Colletive Soul. Their title from the album and the perfect title for this book: Hints, Lies and AlligationsBibliography:
