Comparison Of Loyalty In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Elizabeth Proctor is the same as anyone else; human. Throughout The Crucible she displays notable qualities that separate her from some of the other characters, but in the end she has her faults that negatively impact her. Her loyalty is commendable; as is her sense of virtuosity, but these lead her to becoming a cold woman at times as she tries desperately to keep her reputation above reproach and her family safe from harm.
Loyalty is a very admirable trait, and one Elizabeth Proctor possesses. She constantly demonstrates her devotedness as she proves her reputation and is pledged to her husband throughout the story. John, her husband, has his share of faults and has acted in ways that have disappointed Elizabeth. Through it all, however,

She holds herself high and it is reflected in her actions throughout the play. Within her family, she represents this angelic-like behavior as well. When the cries of witchery start taking the townspeople of Salem to jail, John confesses to Elizabeth that Abigail told him none of it had to do with witchcraft at all. Elizabeth immediately bade him to tell the truth to the town, and to out Abigail as a liar. She knows John can not keep this information or people could be hanged or imprisoned, and that telling the truth is the right and Christian course to take. Her sense of goodliness extends to her children as well as herself. In the movie, Elizabeth’s children are reading the Bible at one part, learning about the sense of being a good person. When Reverend Hale stops by the Proctor house to question them on their faithfulness, Elizabeth knows all of the commandments, and even helps her husband when he can not remember all of them. She is dedicated to keeping an exemplary reputation and a good standing within her town, which she does. This righteous behavior extends to all of Salem, which we see several examples of in the text. When Elizabeth and her husband and both in jail, Parris actually acknowledges the saintly way of them and their contributions to the town. Parris tells Judge Hawthorne that the Proctors are not like the other townspeople, and that there could be uprisings if they are

Being loyal and virtuous has its perks, but it causes her to be rather unwelcoming and stiff at times. Even within the walls of her own home, she shows this frosty character. In the book, John compliments her cooking and attempts to show her affection several times. She will receive him, but will not reciprocate. She acts as a statue in the presence of him as she holds his past mistakes over his head, never quite being the loving wife he truly desires. She sees herself as plain and this feeling has made her forbidding and cold. Towards the end of the play she realizes this, and begs John for his forgiveness. From this realization she concludes that she kept a frigid and inhospitable home. Elizabeth registers the fact that she seemed so unloving and vows to change that, at least within her home. With others throughout the town, however, Elizabeth is cold by choice, particularly with authority figures. When a warrant was out for her arrest, several men came to her house to investigate. In the movie she was short and unfriendly with them, and references Abigail in an icy manner, saying that she must be ripped out of the world and even calling her murder. Elizabeth would be cold to people’s faces too though. When her husband was about to be hanged, the men of the court pleaded with her to speak with him, and beg him to confess to witchcraft. In both the movie and the