The central plot device is the affair between Abigail Williams and John Proctor. Miller's decision to set sexual jealousy at the root of the hysteria constitutes a dramatic contrivance. In an odd way, then, The Crucible is best read outside its historical context—not as a perfect allegory for anti-Communism, or as a faithful account of the Salem trials, but as a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance and hysteria can intersect and tear a community apart. In John Proctor, Miller gives the reader a marvellous tragic hero for any time—a flawed figure who finds his moral centre just as everything is falling to pieces around him.
In a sense, The Crucible has the structure of a classical tragedy, with John Proctor as the play's tragic hero. John Proctor is a local farmer who lives just outside town; Elizabeth Proctor's husband. A stern, harsh-tongued man, John hates hypocrisy. Honest, upright, and blunt-spoken, Proctor is a good man, but one with a secret, fatal flaw. His lust for Abigail Williams led to their affair (which occurs before the play begins), which proves his downfall and created Abigail's jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth, which sets the entire witch hysteria in motion.
Abigail Williams is one of the major characters, Abigail is the least complex. She is clearly the villain of the play, more so than Parris or Danforth: she tells lies, manipulates her friends and the entire town, and eventually sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths. Throughout the hysteria, Abigail's motivations never seem more complex than simple jealousy and a desire to have revenge on Elizabeth Proctor. Once shunned and scorned by the respectable townsfolk who had heard rumors of her affair with John Proctor, Abigail now finds that she has clout, and she takes full advantage of it. A mere accusation from one of Abigail's troop is enough to incarcerate and convict even the most well-respected inhabitant of Salem. Whereas others once reproached her for her adultery, she now has the opportunity to accuse them of the worst sin of all: devil-worship. Her secret desire to remove Elizabeth Proctor from her path to John Proctor drives the hysteria that soon develops.
Abigail's cynicism about her society reveals that she is well positioned to take advantage of the witch trials for personal gain as well as revenge.
" You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! "Procotr is desperately trying to put the incident behind him. Abigail, on the other hand, has no such sense of closure, as this quote makes clear. As she begs him to come back to her, her anger overflows, and we see the roots of what becomes her targeted, destructive romp through Salem. First, there is her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor and her fantasy that if she could only dispose of Elizabeth, John would be hers. But second, and perhaps more important, after the quotation thee is then a fierce loathing of the entire town; "I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons...." Abigail hates Salem, and in the course of The Crucible, she makes Salem pay. This a drmatic technique Miller uses, through another character cretes tension in John and Elizabeths relationship.
At the start of Act II John and Elizabeth are distant from one another. They speak of the farm and the weather, but do not seem comfortable together; "poor rabbit", "I think we'll see green field soon". John cannot go to court at this point as he would have to admit his affair with abigal and so blaken his name. Proctor's sense of guilt begins to eat away at him. He regrets having confessed his affair to Elizabeth, and relises he probably made a mistake in doing so. Elizabeth canno leave the subject of Abigal alone and she angers John "You forget nothin' and forgive nothin'" . But she wants Jonh to tell Abigal that she means nothing to him.
Elizabeth refuses reconcillation attempts from John and this is clear when she recieves the kiss coldly. The husband and wife are clearly uneasy with each other, and the issue of John's infidelity divides them still. She criticizes him: "John you are not open with me"; he censures her for being cold and judgmental: "Oh Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer." Elizabeth is supremely virtuous, but often cold. There is little intimacy, alothough Jonh tries hard. Elozabeth loses faith in John because he will not go to court and give evidence.Elizabeth is very religious and devot christian whereas Procotr clearly isn't. Elizabeth is still jelous, bitter and suspicious "The magistrates sit in your heart that judge you". She judges her husbandProcotr however does seem genuinely sorry and Elizbeth contiues to hold on to the past, and refuses to tell him her feelings. She gives short answers and so it is hard to emphtises with her, she is frozen up. "I have no-", "I see what i see, John". These hsort answers show the culking attitude she gives. Procotr tries to be a ggod christian by asking for forgivness, and Elizabeth says she forguves but doesn't mean it, she gives no phsical or emotional intimicay. John Proctor is shown as a human charcter and nevers seem to do right by his woman.Elizabeth tries her best to forgive John but she has been badly hurt and she assumes bad motives when John is unwilling to denounce Abigal as a liar.
However Procotr feared for his good name if his hidden sin of ad ultery is revealed and Proctor is, above all, a proud man who places great emphasis on his reputation. The pressing knowledge of his own guilt makes him feel judged, but Elizabeth is correct when she points out that the judge who pursues him so mercilessly is himself. Proctor has a great loathing for hypocritis, and, here, he judges his own hypocrisy just as much as he would judge others. However when Proctor tries to prove the upright character of his home by reciting the Ten Commandments. In forgetting to name adultery, however, just as he "forgot" it during his affair with Abigail, he not only exposes the deficiency of his Christian morality but also suggests the possibility that his entire household has succumbed to the evil influence of the devil and witchcraft.
However Elizabeth is confident beforeReverend Hale. She knows hse has observed her religous duties and has lived according to her beliefs. She i shonest and open about mray' sdoll and when she is arrested she bravely keeps up dignity in apperance as she is taken.
In Act VI those who confess to witch craft are released buthave the reputation of hvaing been withces, those who refuse hang. Only now are reputable people and the minsiter is fearful of his own safety as to wether Procotr hangs. Procoor is ready to lie to save his life untill rebecca nurse makes him reliase that it is wrong to tell such a lie.
In prsion he evntually confesses so that he can live and care for his family but finally decides to die rather than lose hi sgood name by admitting witchcraft and will not sign the paper." Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! " Proctor utters these lines at the end of the play, in Act IV, when he is wrestling with his conscience over whether to confess to witchcraft and thereby save himself from the gallows. The judges and Hale have almost convinced him to do so, but the last stumbling block is his signature on the confession, which he cannot bring himself to give. In part, this unwillingness reflects his desire not to dishonor his fellow prisoners: he would not be able to live with himself knowing that other innocents died while he quaked at death's door and fled. More important, it illustrates his obsession with his good name. Reputation is tremendously important in Salem, where public and private morality are one and the same. Early in the play, Proctor's desire to preserve his good name keeps him from testifying against Abigail. Now, however, he has come to a true understanding of what a good reputation means and what course of action it necessitates—namely, that he tell the truth, not lie to save himself. "I have given you my soul; leave me my name!"
This enables him have the courage to die heroically. His goodness and honesty, lost during his affair with Abigail, are recovered he does this for the ske of his children futre reputation and becau=se of examples of Eliabeth and others who ahve refused to confess. He will not deny himself. He has doubted his ability to be a good man so far, but with Elizabeth example and support he relises he can be true to himself and accept death. As Elizabeth says to end the play, responding to Hale's plea that she convince Proctor to publicly confess: "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!"
Elizabeth will not confess to witchcraft, it would be denial of her faith. Truthfulness is so importnat to herthat John Procotr asks the court to vertify with her his confession of adultery. To save Elizabeth, John confessed his relationship with Abigail. He is confident that she cann not tell a lie.So the judge cross-examines her without revealing that John has acknowledged that he committed adultery but Elizabeth's love for her husband proves to be stronge than her love of truth and she will not support the story and destroys his reputation.In what is arguably the turning point Elizabeth lies to save John.
We are then shown that Elizabeth has truly forgiven Jphn and has come to relise some of her own failings. Is she had been loving and confident in their relationship, he may not have fallen into temptation.
In the end Elizabeth shows great courage and hse refuses to influence her husbands decision. she loves him dearly but knows that he must do what is right for himself, even if it means bringing about his own death.
