describe how a character has changed over the course of the play the crucible

by Ramiro Schumm 10 min read

We might argue that Elizabeth is the character that changes her course to the greatest extent. Initially, she is defensive, petty, and cold in he relations to John Proctor. As the play goes on, Elizabeth softens and demonstrates a growing understanding of her husband, as well as forgiveness.

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How did the characters change in the Crucible?

Abigail Williams, Elizabeth and John Proctor, Mary Warren, ReverendParris and even Reverend Hale had changed drastically because of what they had to go through during the course of the play. However, other characters such as Ezekiel Cheeverand Marshall…show more content…

How does Elizabeth change her course in the Crucible?

We might argue that Elizabeth is the character that changes her course to the greatest extent. Initially, she is defensive, petty, and cold in he relations to John Proctor. As the play goes on, Elizabeth softens and demonstrates a growing understanding of her husband, as well as forgiveness. Further along,...

What is the summary of the Crucible?

The Crucible, a play by the famous playwright Arthur Miller, retells the story of the witch trials occurring in Salem during the seventeen century. Between lies, deceiving and treachery, Salem was the place of a relatively massive genocide solely based upon unproved facts and accusations.

How does Reverend Hale change during the course of the Crucible?

Reverend Hale is another character that changes during the course of "The Crucible." Upon his entrance in the midst of Act I, he is depicted as a strong, knowledgeable intellect. His intelligence seems to leave no room for compassion.

How did characters change in The Crucible?

In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Each of the characters of Proctor, Hale, and Elizabeth changed from the beginning of the play to the end of the story. Proctor becomes more honest; Hale becomes more skeptical, and Elizabeth becomes more forgiving.

Which characters changed over the course of the play The Crucible?

Abigail Williams, Elizabeth and John Proctor, Mary Warren, Reverend Parris and even Reverend Hale had changed drastically because of what they had to go through during the course of the play. However, other characters such as Ezekiel Cheever and Marshall Herrick did not really change noticeably.

Which character changes the most over the course of The Crucible?

In the Crucible, many of the characters go through changes because of the intensity of the situation. But there is only one character that I think changed the most, and that is John Proctor who is the protagonist of the novel The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

How has John Proctor changed over the course of the play?

This leads to an important change of his personality: John Proctor changes from a normal citizen and a sinner to a tragic hero, a person of high sense of morality. This evolution of his character is due to many situations he is faced with and which aroused strong feelings and beliefs.

How did Parris change over time in The Crucible?

Throughout the entirety of the play, Reverend Parris was a perplexed man. As the play moved along, he grew more introverted and we see his paranoia grow larger. He was also blaming every other person for every little mishap in Salem for his own benefit.

How has Mary Warren changed in The Crucible?

Studying Mary Warren showed us different sides to her. We see her as fragile, frightened, lonely and unimportant. This has changed by Act 2 though. She has changes in attitude towards different people especially Proctor and by Act 3 Mary has broken down and is back to what she was in the beginning.

How does Elizabeth Proctor change in The Crucible?

The Crucible In the play the Crucible, many of the characters learn things from themselves. Elizabeth Proctor is one of the main characters that develops over time. Elizabeth experiences many dramatic changes in her life, but her main defining moment illustrates the play's theme of forgiveness and bitterness.

How has Proctor changed since the beginning of the play?

Answers 1. Proctor certainly matures. He laments his behavior with Abigail, Instead of blaming his wife Elizabeth, for his affair, he places guilt squarely on his own shoulders. By the end of the play John has gone from self-righteous philandering to trying to keep any good that is left in his name.

How does John Proctor change in The Crucible quizlet?

Upon being trialled himself, John refuses to confess to save his life. He sticks by his morals and believes that he will go to heaven for his integrity, he is too proud to lie. This is why he is considered more respected and heroic than a character such as Hale who encourages lying among the accused.

How does Abigail Williams change throughout The Crucible?

Within the space of one act, Abigail changes her story from "we were just dancing" to "Tituba sent her spirit on me and bewitched us"—and everyone buys it. Part of Abigail's success in convincing others of her lies stems from her ability to get herself to believe the lies.

What is the Crucible about?

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about the Salem Witch Trails. Betty and Abigail are seen dancing in the forest with a slave named Tituba. Tituba is accused of calling the devil and is the reason why Betty is sick. Abigail and Proctor have an affair.

What act does the Crucible take place?

This is evident by his interrogations which took place during Act III, the Trial, as well as the biographical information provided in Act I of "The Crucible.". However, his emotions do come out in Act IV. He appears sympathetic and kindhearted while begging the women in prison to confess to save their lives.

Why is the Crucible a tragedy?

Proctor pleads not guilty and is hanged. The Crucible is a tragedy because Proctor is hanged to death. The structure of he Crucible is climatic because an event.

Why did John Proctor attend Mass?

Furthermore, in Act II, it is revealed that John Proctor attended mass scarcely because he hated Reverend Parris so much. His materialism (as proven with the gold candlesticks) was something that greatly bothered the town of Salem. In Act IV, Reverend Parris is humbled.

What is Reverend Parris' character in Act IV?

He does not talk with the same biting command as he used to. Reverend Hale is another character that changes during the course of "The Crucible.".

How did Arthur Miller develop the plot of The Crucible?

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Plot : In “The Crucible” Arthur Miller made the plot develops through the conflicts by using high tension and climaxes. He ends each of the four acts with a climax. In addition, he allowed the protagonist to develop throughout the acts. “The Crucible” has many internal and external conflicts.

What is Reverend Hale's character?

Reverend Hale is another character that changes during the course of "The Crucible.". Upon his entrance in the midst of Act I, he is depicted as a strong, knowledgeable intellect. His intelligence seems to leave no room for compassion. This is evident by his interrogations which took place during Act III, the Trial, ...

What is the Crucible about?

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is considered to be one of the greatest plays of all time. It tells the thrilling story of the Salem witch trials of 1692. Throughout the story many characters are introduced, and each one can be seen changing as the story progresses, be it small changes, or extraordinary ones, that alter the course of the story itself. Reverend Hale is one such character that makes changes that alter the story. At the beginning he truly believes that there are witches running amok in Salem. During the middle of the play, he is starting to question the authenticity of the trials. And finally, at the end, he is against the trials and openly declares that he is through with the court. During The Crucible by Arthur Miller Reverend Hale arrives from Beverly because he has heard rumors of alleged witchcraft in Salem. When Reverend Hale finally arrives he appears to be a determined man on a mission, and is ready to hunt down the devil and all of his advocates. His first encounter with witchcraft took place as soon as he got there, Parris’s child, Betty, is in bed, not able to talk or even move. Hale starts trying to figure out what happened to her when Abigail starts to mention Tituba, who is Parris’s servant and has knowledge of conjuring. Parris pressures her into confessing and Tituba herself says “I …show more content…

What happened during the Crucible Witch Trials?

During the Witch Trials in, The Crucible, many characters suffered diminished power profiles due to accusations of witchcraft and interrogation of reputation. An example of an individual who was confronted with this issue was John Proctor. Preceding the trials, Proctor was a highly respected and prominent member of the community of Salem. When confessed to crimes of lechery, however, he was quickly cast as a sinner. When Proctor is accused of witchcraft and has the opportunity to confess to save his life, he chooses to instead save his name and plead innocent.…

What did Sarah Good tell the court?

In an attempt to save herself from being hung, Sarah Good told the court she was a witch. She admitted to writing in the Devil’s book. Her deceit, along with the lies of all the other members of the community were a direct cause of Abigail’s lie, these women would never have been arrested if it were not for Abigail’s deception. Lies can spread faster the disease in some cases and should not be taken lightly. To convince the court of their intentions to do the work of God, the girls accused many innocent people of the heinous crime of witchcraft.…

What is the first act of the witchcraft play?

Shown in the first act is a power struggle in which Abigail is defiant and dares to talk back to her minister uncle, Reverend Parris. Abigail’s actions towards her self-centered uncle foreshadow the power she and her friends would later gain. Due to the need of a scapegoat during hard times, the people of Salem, Massachusetts were quick to believe in witchcraft. Although some of the people accused seemed highly unlikely to be guilty, many still believed the accusations to be true. The sociological aspect of this play is a major facet considering mass hysteria as the driving…

What is the conflict between Abigail and Elizabeth?

This quote sparks the conflict between Abigail and Elizabeth for the fight for John Proctor, and this also leads into the beginning of the false witch accusations against townspeople of Salem, especially Elizabeth whom of which were targeted by Abigail so that she could possibly have a chance with her, which in the end fails, as again he is executed instead of Elizabeth. Since Abigail is using the false witch accusations in her advantage, this shows how corrupt theocratic authority can really be because of the automatic conclusions set on supposed witches by one person, which in turn, by today’s standards, you need solid evidence to indict someone of a crime. It simply doesn’t make sense to indict someone on one accusation by today’s standards of indictment, but would make sense as you are following the rules set by God, as is required in a…

Who are the main characters in the book Peer Pressure?

The characters Reverend John Hale, Abigail Williams, and Mary Warren are the important characters in this story that help prove the theme that Peer pressure can sometimes be bad. The most dynamic character throughout the story was Reverend Hale. In the beginning he was a firm believer that witchcraft was present in Salem. He had come to Salem to find those who conspired with the devil, in the text we see that he says “ Have no fear now- we shall find him out if he is among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face”. Then eventually he starts realizing how many good-hearted people are being accused by the girls and starts being thinking about the situation.…

Who was Sarah's brother in the Salem Witch Trials?

Richard, Sarah’s older brother, traveled to Salem to witness the trial of his mother. Richard was able to identify the madness of the accusers’ antics and how they were successful. “‘I saw Bridget Bishop condemned, and it was like being full-blown mad to stand in that meeting house and see every eye turn savage,’” (Kent 202). The sensible people in the courtroom had grown fearful, consequently forgetting what reasonable decisions should be made with the convictions. The Salem witch trials featured in the novels carry through because of the mass terror instilled by the accusing…

How does Reverend Hale change in The Crucible?

How Does Reverend Hale Change in "The Crucible"? The events of "The Crucible" change Reverend Hale by testing his faith in God. Because he is forced to accept that his beliefs have been manipulated and realizes that he has sent innocents to their deaths, he loses faith in the law and questions his faith in God.

What is the most complex character in Arthur Miller's play?

One of the most complex characters in the Arthur Miller play, Reverend Hale undergoes a journey through the play. Starting with the best of intentions, his confidence is shaken as the events unfold, and he becomes completely disillusioned with the justice system and frustrated with the injustice of punishments afflicting the innocents accused ...

Who is the protagonist in The Crucible?

John Proctor, the protagonist of Arthur Miller's Puritan take on McCarthyism, "The Crucible," is a man who faces several dilemmas, each a sequel to the previous one, showering upon his head like an early American Job. His great dilemma at the outset is adultery, a flaw he is trying to expiate; this segues into accusations of witchcraft.

What does Proctor say to Elizabeth in the scaffold?

Proctor emerges from his dilemmas as a purified saint, gold emerging from the crucible: beyond all crises, he tears his confession and mounts the scaffold, telling Elizabeth: "show a stony heart and sink them with it." She answers, "he have his goodness now," and Miller ends with the marvelously grisly image of death-knell drums that "rattle like bones in the morning air." Miller exemplifies the reason for dilemmas in our lives: they exist for our purification, even in death.

What does Miller call Proctor?

Miller, in Act One, calls Proctor "a sinner ... against his own vision of decent conduct," and his crises proceed from private to public and back again. Proctor, about to be swept into the maelstrom of the Salem Witch trials, actually believes his crisis is passed as the play opens; having confessed to wife Elizabeth his adultery with Abigail Williams, he has "gone tiptoe in this house all seven month" in repentence; Elizabeth's judgment, he declares, "would freeze beer." As she relents, calling him "a good man," she is accused of witchcraft by the vengeful Abigail.

Did Miller take artistic license with Proctor's age and position in the proceedings?

Miller took artistic license with Proctor's age and position in the proceedings, but he retained the testimonies of the events , knowing that the audience's intense interest in these would also intensify Proctor's second dilemma.

What is the Crucible about?

In this tragic play, readers follow the story of the Salem witch trials in 1692. The play begins with a young girl in bed, unable to move. The town of Salem blames witchcraft, sparking a downward spiral of accusations towards the many women in town. Abigail Williams decides she must accuse Elizabeth Proctor in order to be with her husband, John Proctor, whom she had an affair with earlier in the year.…

Why is John Proctor to blame for the Crucible?

In conclusion, John Proctor is to blame for the witch trials because he wasn’t able to confess what he has done during the witch trails, his tragic flaw took over him and he prioritized his reputation over his integrity.

What did Mr. Hale bring to Salem?

When Mr.Hale initially came to Salem, he brought the attitude that there was definitely witchery present in the town. But,the longer Hale stayed in Salem, he realized that his first thought may not have been true. By the time the play ended, the Reverend’s mind had been completely changed. In short, Reverend Hale went from being completely sure ...

What did Hale do to protect John?

So, Hale did everything in his power to protect John. For example, While explaining to Elizabeth what he needs to do to save her husband, Hale reveals how he needs her help, and why. Hale states “God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride.

What does Hale believe about John Proctor?

However, as the play goes on, Hale begins to experience a change of heart. He is the first person of power to believe that John Proctor is telling the truth, and the Abigail is lying. This was a very hard thing for him to do because Danforth, Parris, and all others in power believed Abigail.

Why did the judges need Proctor?

The judges needed Proctor to create the false confession. Reverend Hale believed God would be more forgiving to Proctor for lying; however, Goody Proctor believed the Devil may say the same thing.

What does the Reverend say in the book "Let him sign it, let him sign it"?

Let him sign it, let him sign it” (141). The Reverend tries to convince the court that John has confessed, therefore he should be pardoned. By doing so, he shows he has changed a lot in his thinking, and that he wants to desperately save John’s life.

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