The Crucible

A Metamorphosis of Characters in The Crucible

In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible the witch trials in Salem became the soul seeking revenge of the town’s people. In the beginning of the play, the girls in town were caught dancing in the woods, which is an act against the Puritan religion. The next day Betty Parris appeared to be in some kind of trance, so her father calls in a specialist who diagnosed the problem with witchery. From then on, the town becomes crazy and the most innocent of people are being accused as witches and hung. Throughout the play, many characters make a huge change in personality and become completely new people, including Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor, and the eager Reverend Hale.

First, Elizabeth Proctor makes a drastic change in result of the reality that has just taken over her. Elizabeth Proctor is a beautiful, honest lady trying to coupe with the reality of her husbands past ex-marital affair with Abigail Williams. Elizabeth comes off as very cold and unforgiving to her husband, astonished at how much he had hurt her. “She is watching him from the table as he stands there absorbing the light. It is as though she would speak but cannot.” (51). Even though she is angry with John, Elizabeth is always very truthful to herself and others, and has never told a lie. Then as the witch trials have and up rise, Elizabeth wants to stay clear of the drama, until Abigail Williams accuses Elizabeth, so she can win John back. Elizabeth is taken to jail where she starts to change. She begins to except the reality that her husband did what he did and she starts to blame herself for it ever occurring. Then, in Act III, as John confesses to the court of his affair with Abigail, Elizabeth is called in uniformed of the situation to state whether or John is lying or not, she lies to protect her husband. She states that she put Abby out because she dissatisfied them. However, when Reverend Hale brings John to Elizabeth to talk him into choosing life over death, Elizabeth confesses to John that she feels guilty as to the affair. “John I counted myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me! Suspicion kissed you when I did; I never knew how I should say my love. It were a cold house I kept.” (137). In Short, Elizabeth has a low level of self-esteem and wants to blame herself for her husband’s mistake. In the beginning of the play, she believes that she could never forgive John, where as in the end she confesses her heart to him in hope that he will lie to be with her.

Another character who goes through a metamorphosis throughout, The Crucible, is John Proctor. When we are introduced to John he is angry with himself for the selfish sin he has committed. Reluctant to come to terms with reality on his affair, with Abigail Williams, John feels guilty as to the pain he has caused his wife. “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched Abby.” (23). When Reverend Hale came to John’s house in the middle of the night to inform him of Elizabeth being accused, he was asked to recite the ten commandments. Seeming hypocritical, John is able to recite nine of the ten commandments, excluding the commandment “thou shall not commit adultery.” After Elizabeth is taken away John comes to except his affair and tells to court in hopes to end the revenge fueled trials and save his wife. When Elizabeth lies for John he is taken to jail, where he is treated very badly. Reverend Hale asks Elizabeth to talk John lying to save his life. Although John loves his wife and wants to