Create an outright contrast between the two protagonists - Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor. Examine how he has established this dichotomy of character, and what does it add to the dramatic quality and audience involvement in the play.

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The “Crucible” By Arthur Miller

Miller attempts to create an outright contrast between the two protagonists – Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor.  

Examine how he has established this dichotomy of character, and what does it add to the dramatic quality and audience involvement in the play.

On the face of the play (“The Crucible”) it seems to be simply about the mass hysteria which led to the 1692 Salem Witchcraft trials, which talks about a handful of issues which are somewhat remote to a modern audience, who in turn find it relatively intricate to relate to such happenings.  But as you study the play in more detail you realise that Miller not only stresses issues which were  easy to relate  to in the time  in which it was set, but has also given the play a modern touch by stressing the rivalry between Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor.  Consequently Miller adds to the dramatic feel of the play by adding a series of modern touches and historic statements which makes the play not only relate to the happenings of witchcraft but also explore the crime of adultery, which makes the play more about the personal guilt of John Proctor.  The play furthermore creates the “Crucible” in such a way as to illustrate how people react to mass hysteria, created by a person or group of people desiring fame (in this case Abigail because she is the main leader of all the happenings that go on in the performance), as people did during the McCarthy hearings.

The dramatist deliberately makes the two main female characters Abigail and Elizabeth two totally opposite women, highlighting the differences between the women during the whole play.  Additionally he puts John Proctor in the middle of these two dominating characters to add to the drama and tension of the play.  Miller always keeps questions going throughout the dramatic piece about John, Abigail and Elizabeth which include: which woman will John choose and go with? Will he stay faithful to his wife and children?  Will he be tempted and lured into Abigail’s trap?  Does he desire a young attractive girl or a plain mature woman?

Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor are two totally diverse characters.  Abigail is strong, dominant, passionate and lives in a world of fantasy and lies.  On the other hand Elizabeth is shy, hesitant, non-emotional and lives a life full of honesty not deceit like Abigail.  It is ironic that the one lie Elizabeth ever tells in her life is the lie that condemns her husband John Proctor.

Initially it is very easy to see Abigail’s malicious side that acts in plenty of repulsive ways, such as cause deaths through accusations, but as the play progresses you start to see another side to Abigail that you may formerly think is not feasible.  You begin to feel some commiseration for Abigail when she brings the subject of her seeing her parents die, ‘I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine’ which would evidently make her an orphan.  But does this acknowledge her to cause the amount of deaths she does through her petty accusations?  The commotion that she saw may have caused Abigail some emotional scarring and obviously she is very traumatised by the events which she has seen which may explain why her reactions to different situations.  It is almost as though she is on an emotional roller coaster.  She acts softly to some actions ‘John, pity me, pity me’ and in some situations she threatens people, ‘I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning!’.  

The character Abigail is exceedingly amoral as she threatens the girls and she also seeks to kill Elizabeth through her accusations and actions ‘You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!’

Abigail has never been taught right from wrong and on no account been loved by anyone.  Does she look up to John Proctor to fill the role of a father, or is she genuinely in love with him?  When Abigail meets John she immediately falls in love with him as she is overrun with emotions.  She is very young and is still a child and sees no alternative to John so she immediately falls for him.  I individually think she falls for him as she is genuinely in love and the explanation is that she is actually prepared to kill for him.  Whenever Abigail sees John with another person, she immediately gets jealous since she sees them as a threat to John ever loving her, hence the reason she tries to split the Proctor family up.

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Abigail already has a guardian who is the, Revered Parris who is Abigail’s Uncle.  Why does Abigail not see Parris as the fatherly figure she longs for?  The simple reason is Parris cares for no one but himself.  He is totally self obsessed and I individually believe that this is reflected in Abigail’s temperament.  An example of Parris’s self obsession is when the talk of witchcraft arises in the village all he cares about then is what people may think of him ‘But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my ...

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