What Does Elizabeth Proctor Symbolize In The Crucible

Throughout the story Elizabeth was seen as a cold person but she was also a very loving person towards the end. After she found out that John had cheated on her with Abby she said,” You’ll tear it free - when you come to know that I will be your only wife, or no wife at all! She has an arrow in you yet, John Proctor, and you know it well!(62)” Here she was giving him a chance to either go to Abby or stay with her. She even lies to the court in order to try to save John. “…Is your husband a lecher! Elizabeth, faintly: No, sir.” He court asked if he had cheated on her and she denied it. There she expresses her great love for John even though he cheated.

In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, people in Salem, Massachusetts experience a barrage of court trials in which people were persecuted and sentenced to death. These persecutions divided families and divided communities, but for some, there were opposing results. John and Elizabeth Proctor, who are in a struggling relationship, undergo an unusual change in one another. At first, John and Elizabeth Proctor are a couple that is uncomfortable around each other. John Proctor was committing adultery with their household servant named Abigail Williams.

(Miller 18). It is very evidently portrayed in the play that Miller creates Abigail to be the sly and cunning female antagonist. While she is smart and possesses many admirable qualities, they are all shadowed by the men that she must deceive to survive. The loyal wife of John Proctor, Elizabeth exhibits many characteristics such as caring, faithful to her husband, and always staying true to her beliefs. Especially in times when the Crucible was taking place, where wives did not usually stand up for themselves, Elizabeth had the courage to go against her husband and talk about the affair with

Comparison of Elizabeth Proctor with Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor, the leading female characters in 'The Crucible'. Both show determination in order to get what they want. Abigail, a cunning girl that is out for revenge, feels she has superiority over many of the other characters even though she is only a young girl. Elizabeth's character portrays a wife in distress after she finds out about her husband's affair, yet she still has courage throughout the play. She shows determination when she is in need of strength to keep her going, after Abigail accused her of witchcraft.

There are many people in the world who offer help to others or give advice to others to help them during a struggling time. They may even take some of the blame for a certain thing. This is seen in the book, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller though the character Elizabeth Proctor. Arthur Miller uses the character Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible to represent the earth mother; in doing so, he sends the message that a kindhearted person, has the ability to heal those who are spiritually hurt. First of all, Elizabeth’s character represents the earth mother because, she takes some of the blame for John, her husbands, affair and her fertility.

In the beginning of the play Elizabeth Proctor is portrayed as a naïve weak women despite her loyalist to her family and God. Elizabeth was very reserved and introverted which led to her downfall. She was seen as a “doormat” and was emotionally detached from her husband. In the play we learn of Elizabeth's sickness causing her to hire Abigail Williams, while she was sick she became detached from her husband causing him to commit lechery with Abigail Williams. Later we learn that Elizabeth blames her self for Johns Lechery"it needs a cold wife to prompt lechery", (Miller 137). Despite the love for her husband, Elizabeth's inability to express her feelings

witchcraft to Hale “I cannot think the Devil may own a woman’s soul, Mr. Hale, when

Firstly, Elizabeth Proctor is a foil to Abigail Williams because they are both women that are in love with John Proctor. However, Elizabeth differs from Abigail because she is kind, merciful, and honest, as opposed to Abigail who is unforgiving, jealous, and a liar. Arthur Miller portrays Elizabeth as a character that never does anything wrong, and that “she has never lied” (Pg. 116).

all faith in him, she feels that he does not want to prove Abigail is

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, hysteria breaks out in Salem when young girls begin pronouncing accusations of witchcraft. One of the accused, Elizabeth Proctor and her husband, John Proctor, live on a farm where he provides and cares for their family. When Elizabeth becomes sick John is unfaithful and has an affair with one of the accusers, Abigail Williams. Through the course of the story, John Proctor moves from denial and deflection of his actions and their consequences in order to maintain his public dignity, to public confession and condemnation for his actions in order to soothe his conscience and maintain his internal sense of integrity. This progression is illustrated by his interactions with his wife, their accusers and the court, who ultimately condemns them.

Abigail is a highly jealous character, concentrating her jealousy on Elizabeth Proctor. This jealousy is driven by lust and her desire for John Proctor. Abigail served as a servant in the Proctor household and after an affair with her husband John, Elizabeth fired her. She still resents Elizabeth for this as she is still in love with John. She clearly says to John, "You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!" Abigail is still in love with John and she assumes the converse. Her love for John only causes her resentment for Elizabeth to strengthen. She hates John Proctor's wife and in her conniving ways she attempts to inspire the same views of Elizabeth in John's mind. Saying things to him such as, "She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me, She is a cold, sniveling woman." Abigail fabricates stories in attempt to steel John from Elizabeth. She is a manipulative liar that does and says as she pleases in order to get what she wants.

The Salem witch trials were an event that made people act in new ways and realize new things about themselves, as we can see through John Proctor, who went from hating his actions to changing for the good, Elizabeth Proctor, who was mad at John for adultery but forgave him in the end, and with Reverend Hale, who went from accusing the good people of the town to fighting for the good. John Proctor acts as a strong man with good morals. At the beginning of the book John closes himself off and lies to Elizabeth about Abigail. After John cheats on his wife with Abigail Williams, the leader of the “so-called” Salem witches, his morals are tested. John would get mad at Elizabeth not forgiving him shown in this quote, “Spare me!

A quote from this part of the story “I will fall like an ocean on the court! Fear nothing Elizabeth.” (miller 78) this means that Proctor plans on sweeping across the court, and making an impact on everyone. “The girl is murder! She must be ripped out of the world!” (Miller 76) means, Elizabeth Proctor just found out that Abigail has said she stuck the needle in her stomach, when Abigail watched Mary put the needle in the poppet earlier that day. So John is willing to get anything he can to save Elizabeth and clear her name, also Elizabeth is angry that Abigail is accusing her of witchcraft. With Elizabeth being accused of witchcraft, the relationships between John and he begins to

Elizabeth is also strong and courageous. When John is accused of witchcraft, Elizabeth is willing to follow along with the decision John decides about whether he wants to confess or not. She knows if he confesses he will be living a lie and if he tells the truth, he will be put to death. Although the decision John makes will affect Elizabeth and she wants John alive, she is courageous towards John by showing her support and love. Elizabeth knows she must put her opinions to the side and John must construct this decision on his own. Elizabeth states, “I cannot judge you, John, I cannot” (Miller). Elizabeth is also strong because she was falsely accused by Abigail and

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible presents Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams who serve important roles through their unique characteristics and thinking. John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, has two defining characteristics that show throughout this play: she not only lives to please everyone around her and behaves passively, but she lacks the assertiveness to confront what lies directly under her nose. However, Abigail, the girl John Proctor commits the crime of adultery with, manipulates those around her. She is keen to act upon an opportunity when one arises and feels a determination to get her way. While Elizabeth and Abigail are similar in their love for John Proctor, Elizabeth differs from Abigail through her tendency to try to please everyone and keep her own emotions bottled up, while Abigail believes the world revolves around her and works to make things go her own way.