The Crucible is based around the love triangle between John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams.
John and Elizabeth are married, but there was a period when she got very ill, and John became smitten with their maid, Abigail. During their brief, but passionate affair, Elizabeth discovered them at it, and cast Abigail out of the household. Even though they were apart, Abigail still loved John, and would do anything to get him back from Elizabeth, including getting involved in witchcraft. One day, she and her friends are discovered dancing in the woods by her uncle, the Reverend Parris. She blames Parris’ slave, Tituba, for sending her spirit out and forcing her to do it. From there, Tituba blames Goody Good and Goody Osburn. Then all of the girls start blaming people. And they are believed. Abigail realises this is her chance, and blames Elizabeth for witchcraft. John tries to get Elizabeth out of jail, but after a while, he too is arrested. This isn’t what Abigail wanted, so she tries to get John out of jail. He refuses, so she runs off with money stolen from her uncle. Soon after, John, along with 19 others are hung. A few months later, the judges realise this is going too far; too many people will die, as hardly anyone will confess to their ‘crimes’.
Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor in The Crucible,
Elizabeth is in her thirties, a housewife, but not very open and warm loving. She is well respected in the town and is more of the "good guy" when comparing her to Abigail.
In Act Two of the crucible, the play goes into more depth of her character. The reader can tell about the friction between her and John.
“Her back is turned to him. He turns to her and watches her. A sense of their separation arises.”
Abigail is Reverend Parris’s niece. Abigail is seventeen, beautiful, and also an orphan. Abigail is an intelligent, manipulative, and sly girl.
Elizabeth has many similarities with Abigail, yet they contrast also. Throughout the play, both characters grow and change a lot with each situation.
In conclusion, I think that Elizabeth Williams is an underdeveloped character, and Abigail Williams perhaps a little too overdeveloped, because there is not enough in the story to properly contrast the two of them. Therefore, I conclude that it is impossible to compare the roles.
