Essay Topic:

The peculiarities of how the characters of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” interact with each other.

Essay Questions:

What are the moral values of the characters of “The Crucible”

What does the witch hunt represent?

Is death a correct punishment for a “witch”?

Thesis Statement:

The characters of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” are all involved in the witch hunt.

Introduction: Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” is an outstanding piece of literature due to the topic which is analyzed in it. The phenomena of witches and its role for the life of America in the 1950’s is a rather interesting issue to discuss and especially dedicate a whole play to it. The characters of “The Crucible” are tightly involved with witches and this fact makes the plot both intriguing and dramatic.

Reverend Parris – is the Minister of Salem who thinks that the evil plans of the witches is to make him leave Salem. Due to this believe he actively participates in the witch trial.

John Proctor – is a citizen of Salem who is dedicated to farming. At the same time is a very important character as he is the one to have an affair with Abigail Williams.

Abigail Williams –  is the one who actually starts the witch trials. She has a love affair with John Proctor. She is the one who threatens the other girls and accuses the wrong people of being witches. She has a strong influence on the group of girls around her.

Betty Parris- is the daughter of Reverend Parris. One day she is found in the woods by her fathers. Later on she accuses different people of witchcraft.

Reverend John Hale – is the Minister in Beverly whotakes the responsibility to find out whether Betty’s illness has a witchcraft origin. He refuses to support the witch trials when he reveals that Abigail Williams is a liar.

Elizabeth Proctor – is the wife of the farmer John Proctor. After her illness she finds out that her husband John has committed marital infidelity with Abigail Williams. She dismissed Abigail Williams as she can no longer see her face after that.

Francis Nurse – is a farmer in Salem. Being a very rational man he often decides who is wrong or right is different disputes.

Rebecca Nurse – is Francis Nurse’s honest wife who fights against the witch trial and for that reason is accused of being a witch.

Conclusion: The theocratic society presented in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” gives the origin to all the characters of the play. For them the church is the highest authority and not the laws of humanism or the law of the State. The majority of the characters have weak, easily-transformed personalities which change their opinion according to the situation and take the witch trial as a “game”.