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The Crucible

Terms in this set (18)

Mercy Lewis
this character is the servant of Thomas and Ann Putnam. this character is described by the author as "a fat, sly, merciless girl of eighteen" (Act I, p. 16). this character was among the girls found dancing in the woods by Reverend Parris, and later becomes one of the "officials of the court" which cast accusations of witchcraft upon the townspeople. In Act IV, Abigail runs away from Salem with this character, after breaking into Reverend Parris's strongbox and stealing thirty-one pounds.
Deputy Governor Danforth
this character is described by the author as "a grave man in his sixties, of some humor and sophistication that does not, however, interfere with an exact loyalty to his position and his cause" (Act III, p. 85). this character is staunch and stern in his approach to the law, and refuses to back down and release the prisoners when Reverends Hale and Parris beg him to do so after the rebellions begin rising in nearby towns. this character stands by his convictions for principle alone, stating, "Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering" (Act IV, p. 129).
Thomas Putnam
this character is husband to Ann Putnam, father of Ruth Putnam, and master to the servant, Mercy Lewis. this character lives and owns land near Giles Corey, with whom he has constant squabbles over land borders. Giles Corey accuses this character of attempting to steal land from him by having Ruth accuse his wife, Martha Corey, of witchcraft.
Rebecca Nurse
this character, wife of Francis Nurse, is seventy-two and described as "white-haired, leaning upon her walking-stick" when she enters in Act I (Act I, p. 25). Francis Nurse "was called upon to arbitrate disputes as though he were an unofficial judge, and this character also enjoyed the high opinion most people had for him" (Act I, p. 25). this character states her opinions against bringing in Reverend Hale, as she believes it will cause more strife within the community. Later in the play, this character is accused of witchcraft by Ruth Putnam, an apparent act of greed on the part of the Putnam family. this character refuses to confess, and is one of those executed along with John Proctor in the end of Act IV.
Marshal Herrick
this character is responsible for serving warrants to those summoned to the court for questioning in the play. this character is more sympathetic than others in authority, as he shows regret for his actions and befriends those whom he must guard in the jail.
Ezekiel Cheever
In Act II, Elizabeth Proctor begs her husband to go to this character and reveal what Abigail confessed to Proctor at her uncle's house in order to stop the witch trials from going forward. this character, however, proves to be a weak character who later denounces Elizabeth as a witch upon seeing the evidence of the poppet doll when he serves a warrant to arrest her. this character represents a turncoat, in that one the accusations begin to explode in the town, this character is one of the first to present evidence against his friends and neighbors.
Reverend John Hale
this character is a minister from Beverly who is reputed to be an expert of the occult. Reverend Parris sends for this character to examine the possibility that the Devil has infested Salem after discovering his daughter and niece dancing in the forest with the slave Tituba. According to the author, this character is described as "nearing forty, a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual. This [arriving in Salem] is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for" (Act I, p. 32).
In Act IV, however, this character undergoes a change of heart after witnessing the corruption of the court and among the people of Salem. this character denounces the witch trials and later spends his time in the prison with the accused, attempting to get them to confess in order to save their lives.
Tituba
this character is a black slave from Barbados who has belonged to Reverend Parris since his days there as a merchant. Tituba cares for Betty, Reverend Parris's daughter, and tends to household duties. this character leads the ritual by the girls in the forest which is discovered by Reverend Parris, but later claims Abigail forced her to "conjure" for her. this character is the first to be accused of witchcraft in the play, and after beatings and threats of hanging, this character names Goody Good and Goody Osburn as witches at the suggestion of her accusers. this character confession spurs Abigail and the other girls to begin naming names, erupting in chaos
Giles Corey
this character is a farmer in Salem and friend to John Proctor. this character's land abuts with that of Thomas Putnam, and the two have had ongoing feuds about ownership and boundaries. this character accuses Thomas Putnam of attempting to steal land from him by having his daughter Ruth accuse his wife, Martha Corey, of witchcraft. this character stands trial himself and refuses to commit a plea, resulting in his being crushed? to death with stones.
Elizabeth Proctor relates the reasoning behind this characters' torturous death in Act IV, saying, "He were not hanged. He would not answer yes or no to his indictment; for if he denied the charge they'd hang him surely, and auction out his property. So he stand mute, and died Christian under the law. And so his sons will have his farm. It is the law, for he could not be condemned a wizard without he answer the indictment, aye or nay" (Act IV, p. 135).
Elizabeth Proctor
this character is the wife of John Proctor. In Act II, it becomes evident to the reader/audience that there is a tension in the Proctor home which is rooted in a prior affair John Proctor had with Abigail Williams, their servant at the time. this character loves her husband dearly, but has been unable to let go of her suspicions and judgment based on the affair. When word of witchcraft starts to stir in Salem, this character begs John to go speak with Abigail, knowing that she is the ringmaster. this character believes Abigail wants her accused and out of the way so she can marry her husband.
this character does become one of the accused in Act II and is taken to the jail after Mary Warren's poppet is discovered in her home with a needle in it. Abigail Williams collapsed at the dinner table that evening with a needle in her flesh and accused this character of having sent spirits to murder her. In Act IV, when this character is summoned to convince her husband to confess and save his life, she stands by him, regardless of what he chooses. this character is a devoted wife, and is saved from hanging because she is pregnant when she stands trial.
Mary Warren
this character is the servant of John and Elizabeth Proctor, and is described as "seventeen, a subservient, naive, lonely girl" (Act I, p. 18). When this characterfirst appears in Act I, she is frightened and willing to confess to what the girls did in the woods; however, this character is threatened and bullied by Abigail and Mercy into silence. this character gains momentum and power as a character when she becomes an "official of the court" and joins the other girls in making accusations of the townspeople. this character gives Elizabeth Proctor a poppet she made in court, which is later used as proof of witchcraft against Elizabeth when Abigail claims she used it to harm her.
In Act III, John Proctor convinces this character to sign a deposition stating that her accusations and those of the other girls are false, but when this character faces Abigail in the court, she begins to falter. As Abigail and the others begin screaming and seeing "visions," this character loses her power completely and joins in, denouncing John Proctor for soliciting the Devil and holding supernatural powers over her.
John Proctor
this character is the protagonist of The Crucible. Proctor is described by the author as "a farmer in his middle thirties. He need not have been a partisan of any faction in the town, but there is evidence to suggest he had a sharp and biting way with hypocrites" (Act I, p. 20). Through the narrative, the reader learns this character has previously had an adulterous affair with Abigail Williams when she worked as a servant in his home. this character's wife, Elizabeth, released Abigail from service upon her discovery of the affair, and the relationship between John and Elizabeth has remained strained since its occurrence.
this character fulfills his role in the drama as a tragic hero, exhibiting courage and honesty against the forces of corruption, deception and hypocrisy. this character's fatal flaw is his pride and his betrayal through adultery. this character has denounced his affair and resists the temptations of Abigail, but his pride prevents him from coming forward with the truth about his and Abigail's past until he is driven to do so by desperation during his wife's trial. In the end of the play, this character's decision to renounce his confession and go to execution demonstrates his loyalty to truth and to the truths of those convicted wrongly alongside him.
Betty Parris
this character is the ten-year-old daughter of Reverend Paris. this character was present at the ritual in the woods which was discovered by her father, and fell ill afterwards. It is this character's comatose-like illness that prompts Reverend Parris to call Reverend Hale to Salem. this character later accuses Abigail of drinking blood to kill the wife of John Proctor, but is immediately silenced by the bullying and threats of Abigail and the others.
Ann Putnam
this character is the wife of Thomas Putnam and the mother of Ruth Putnam. this character is consumed with grief over the death of seven babies, either through miscarriage or stillbirth, and sends her daughter Ruth to Tituba to discover what evil has taken her children.
Judge Hathorne
this character presides over the Salem Witch Trials. Author Arthur Miller describes this character in the play as "is in his sixties, a bitter, remorseless Salem judge" (Act III, p. 85).
Abigail Williams
this character is the central antagonist of the play. this character is the niece of Reverend Parris, and is a seventeen-year-old orphan whose parents presumably were killed by Indians. this character worked as the Proctors' servant until Elizabeth Proctor discovered her husband was having an affair with the girl and put her out. this character is supported by her uncle.
In the opening of the play, Reverend Parris has discovered this character, his daughter Betty, and others dancing in the forest with the slave Tituba. Betty falls ill and Parris believes the Devil's hand is involved and sends for the help of Reverend Hale. this character is the ringleader among the girls in the town, and facing her own persecution for conjuring spirits, turns on Tituba and calls her out as a witch. Once Tituba calls out others, this character leads the girls into a whirlwind frenzy of accusations in Salem.
this character is driven, largely or wholly, by her desire for John Proctor and her jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth. The actions and accusations Abigail commits serve to harm Elizabeth and have her executed as a witch. Abigail oversees Mary Warren sewing a poppet doll for Elizabeth and later fakes supernatural illness, essentially framing Elizabeth for witchery. In the end of the play, this character, along with Mercy Lewis, has stolen thirty-one pounds from her uncle's strongbox and run away from Salem, presumably on a ship.
Francis Nurse
this character is the husband of Rebecca Nurse and is described by the author as "one of those men for whom both sides of the argument had to have respect. He was called upon to arbitrate disputes as though he were an unofficial judge" (Act I, p. 25).
Reverend Samuel Parris
this character is the town minister of Salem, Massachusetts. In Act I, this character has discovered his daughter, Betty, and his niece, Abigail, dancing in the woods with the slave Tituba and several other girls. this character sends for Reverend Hale of Beverly to examine his daughter, who has fallen ill since the incident, for signs that she has been cursed by the Devil.
this character is criticized by many in Salem, including John Proctor, for his extravagant ways and apparent greed. According to the author's notes, "At the time of these events this character was in his middle forties. . . He believed he was being persecuted wherever he went, despite his best efforts to win people and God to his side. In meeting, he felt insulted if someone rose to shut the door without first asking his permission" (Act I, p. 3).
this character shows his true selfish nature in Act IV, when he appears to be more concerned about the loss of his money, stolen by his niece, than the fate of the accused. this character, as a character, is consumed with what others think and his own reputation and power.
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