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Character Analysis of Elizabeth Proctor from The Crucible by Arthur Miller
In the late sixteen hundreds, the fear of witchcraft was a major concern amongst
New Englanders. Arthur Miller’s book, The Crucible, tells the story of a town’s
obsession with accusing innocent people of witchcraft. All the accusers were young
females who claimed they were attacked by demonic specters. Members of the
community supposedly sent out these evil spirits, but in reality, the girls were doing it as
sport. One such person accused was Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor, known
throughout the community to be a noble woman. Throughout the book Elizabeth proves
to be a moral, cold, and determined.
Elizabeth’s moral character proves to be an important factor all through the book. She gives people in the play and people today the example on how to treat others when she said, “I have sins of my own to count.” (Miller 137) People can’t go around judging others and not check themselves and be rightly so to judge. Before she knew of this she said, “I have read my heart”. (Miller 137). She was angry at John, but she had to examine herself first to see if she even has the right to do so. After telling John these things, she eventually got to John as he contemplated confession. John rejected and her moral sense triumphed over all the lies.
Elizabeth was a strong, cold woman. She knew of John’s lechery with Abigail, who was their servant at the time, while she w...
At the beginning of the play Abigail’s motive is to save herself and her reputation; at the end of the play she realizes that she only wants to be with John. She even accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft to get rid of her, so she could be with him. According to the text “Why-! The girl is murder! She must be ripped out of this world!” Page 76 Act Two. This quote shows that Elizabeth knows that Abigail wants to get rid of her. Elizabeth changes by how she treats John throughout the play. At the beginning she is cold towards John because of his affair with Abigail. Towards the end when he finally confesses that he committed lechery; she treats him better by loving and caring more for him. At the end she just wants John to be free with in his decision with the confession. According to the text “I am not your judge, I cannot be. Do as you will, do as you will.” Page 138 Act. This quote proves Elizabeth cannot be the judge of John in this decision, but it is his will.
Elizabeth too has attained quite a bit of respect from the townspeople. She is known by those around her to be a genuine and kind woman. Elizabeth is accused of witchcraft, but soon after they realize that the accuser’s claim is misleading. They figure this out in Act Two when Mary Warren confesses to the poppet being hers and not Elizabeth’s. Furthermore, Elizabeth is a fervent Puritan woman. With that being said, she never lies because that to her is equivalent to murder or adultery. The only time that she ever thought to tell a lie was when she was doing her best to protect her husband in the court; unfortunately, what she did wasn’t the best choice she could’ve made. Moreover, Elizabeth is faithful with her husband, but that doesn’t stop her from continuing to not have trust in him. For example, in the beginning of Act Two, John mentions to her that he had been alone with Abigail. Without a doubt, that makes Elizabeth uncomfortable because she has a bit of an idea of what John was hiding from the public eye. In the stage directions, Arthur Miller prompts the reader to feel and sympathize with Elizabeth. For instance, in the same Act, it says that John goes to give her a kiss and she simply receives it. She doesn’t kiss him back showing that she has no desire to be doing much with the man. Throughout the play, Arthur Miller does an exceptional job with how he portrays Elizabeth as a good
John is a loving husband. He proves that by telling Elizabeth, “It is well seasoned” (p. 48) in reference to the rabbit she cooked, in which he had to add salt to. He likes to make her happy, which shows he loves her, and so he asks, “Would that please you?” (p.48) He is asking in reference to buying a heifer for her if the crops are good. He assures her he will “fall like an ocean on that court” by which he shows his love in caring for her freedom (p.73). To the court he admits he has “known her” he is talking about Abigail and their affair (p.102). He is showing his love towards his wife by throwing away his freedom, life, honor, dignity, and pride to prove Elizabeth’s innocence and have her freedom. He tells Elizabeth to “show honor now” as he is to be hanged in the gallows (p. 133). He is showing his love for her by letting her know he cares about her enough to want her to be strong even though he is to die.
She was put in the middle of the situation because she lied to the court about the affair with Abigail not knowing that John already admitted to it. That situation made both Elizabeth and John look bad. Some say that the truths will you set you free but in this case all it did was digging a deeper hole for the Proctor’s. Abigail tried to say that Elizabeth was dancing with the devil and the people believed it and started prosecuting every potential
For the most part, Elizabeth is a strong/straightforward woman. She is finding it very difficult to forgive her husband and Abigail after their affair, considering how much hate she has in her heart for Abigail. All of her trust and faith in John is gone. Months later, Elizabeth was thrown into jail after being accused of witchcraft by
In the first scene of the second act of the Crucible, Elizabeth is with John. John reveals that he was with Abigail and he admitted the betrayal. There are many different ways Arthur Miller enforced his claim. Through emotional appeal, figurative language, and tone, the author has successfully used literary elements to support John’s argument with Elizabeth.
Basically there is not an evil bone in her body. Elizabeth lied about John’s adultery to protect him, saying he’s a “goodly man” (113). Yes, that does not sound like that big of a deal, but for Elizabeth this is a monumental thing. She's going against everything she believes in, even her own morals of being a good christian morals and following the ten commandments to protect John. This is shows her selflessness on a higher level because she such a strong will women. Another example of her selflessness is when she asks John to “forgive” (137) her for being “cold wife” (137). Elizabeth does this because she begins to believe that she is the reason John committed adultery. Elizabeth said “ it were a cold house I kept” (137), which goes to show she believed she was the reactant which led to the product of Johns mistake. Selflessness is shown because first, she is taking on the responsibility so John does not worry and blame himself. In the movie she saved his life for a little longer because she gave him some self worth and made him feel like a better person. If she would not have told John it was her fault he would of died with the burden of ruining the family, but instead she took the responsibility. Secondly she comes to think that because she was self conscious and did not lover herself she was “cold” (137) or did not let her husband love her. This made her believe that she made him feel like there was little compassion between him and her which led John to give “a promise that a stallion gives a mare” (62) to Abigail. Elizabeth is all around a selfless human being. Always trying to make it better for the other person and take the responsibility on her self which is opposite of
The magistrate that sits in your heart judges you.” This is where Elizabeth suspects that John has committed adultery, but knows how good of man he is and tries to look over it. “Adultery, John.” This is where John tells her and she makes it sound like it is news to her even though she has known for awhile. She is trying to have John have a “good” name and not be a name that everyone discards. “No, sir.” Here she is protecting his name but she doesn’t know that John has just came out and said that he committed lechery. She thought that she was saving him but she was actually making it worse for him.“I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face.” Here he is talking about if he ever encountered the Devil that he would literally kick his ass.
Elizabeth lets her husband decided to live or die, which shows great courage and strength. Abigail shows determination to get what she wants. She is able to manipulate the townspeople and she can accuse them of witchcraft, which enables her to get revenge on the people that have done her wrong. Both Elizabeth and Abigail can be portrayed at strong female characters in 'The Crucible' by the actions that occur in the play. Work Cited: Miller, Arthur.
She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a - “ (24). Abigail’s jealousy is most noticeable in this quote. She uses the words ‘cold, sniveling woman’ to describe Elizabeth, reminding John of his wife’s reaction to the affair and her ‘coldness’ towards him, attempting to prod at a weak spot in their marriage. By telling John, a man, valued by his reputation and implacability, that he ‘bends to [Elizabeth, a woman]’, Abigail also seeks to hurt John’s self worth.
Elizabeth has been notorious for being a good example lady in Salem and a very kind person also. She was also looked up to by many but as the the trails unfold she falls victim to dishonesty. “ My husband is a good man, sir. Then he did not turn from you.
Elizabeth had a good personality and an even better attitude. Elizabeth was respectful, loving and kind. When Cheever and Hale came to Proctor’s house to take Elizabeth away she told Proctor, “John – I think I must go with them. Mary, there is bread enough for the morning; you will bake, in the afternoon. Help Mr. Proctor as you were his daughter – you owe me that, and much more. To Proctor: when the children wake, speak nothing of witchcraft – it will frighten them” (Act II pg 77). While Elizabeth was about to be arrested she goes to Mary and tells her to take care of her family while she was away. Elizabeth was only concerned about her family; she wanted to make sure her family was taken care of. Elizabeth showed respect by agreeing to go with Hale and not argue about her arrest. Elizabeth also showed kindness and her love for her family by making sure her husband and sons were taken care of, she was concerned for her family more than she was concerned about what will happen to her later. Elizabeth’s actions were just as caring as her personality and attitude. John Proctor confessed to committing adultery with Abigail, Danforth brought Elizabeth into the court to see if Proctor was telling him the truth. When Elizabeth was in court Danforth told ...
can see the strong love between the two of them. If you were to only
To further complicate matters, John decides not to reveal to the court that Abigail has admitted to him in private that they were just sporting in the woods. Abigail spreads additional accusations and false rumors about her neighbors. These accusations have no basis in truth and their only purpose is for Abigail’s own benefit. Furthermore, Abigail is jealous of John’s wife, Elizabeth, and she schemes to get rid of her in order to take her place. Abigail’s plot is to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft.
Out of all the characters in the crucible was great, but in my opinion, Elizabeth is the best character in the cast in the Crucible. She was a faithful wife, a good mother, and strong in her faith/religion. Even though her husband cheated on her she still remained faithful to him. Elizabeth demonstrates a very truthful woman. She’s the wife of John Proctor. Nicknamed Goody Proctor, because she was a good christen woman. Everyone liked her, because she was a woman who never lied. Until, she lied in court one day to save her husband’s life. She acts very frigidly to others. The only person that didn’t like her was Abigail Williams. Abigail wants Elizabeth to die because Abigail wants John Proctor all to her self.