Arthur Miller's historical play, The Crucible, portrays the historical events of the Salem witch trials through a crowd of unforgettable characters. Fear drives these Puritans to reveal their true emotions while facing their accusers in the bias courts before merciless judges. While eventually all the people of Salem become subject to this madness, two women stand out above the rest. Revenge and shame live in the heart of the teenage adulteress, Abigail Williams, while truth and righteousness reside in the soul of Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor's faithful wife.Although they both heighten the tension and suspense of the play, Abigail William's and Elizabeth Proctor's differences lead to turmoil due to their desire for one man's love.
In the Crucible, Abigail Williams can be described as a deceitful and cunning character who thought of the idea that she could lie her way through life without facing any consequences. Never looked at as a dangerous character by her community, Abigail figured she could avoid getting in trouble by making up stories to cover up her practicing witch craft. When the other girls involved in this started to feel guilty, Abigail immediately threatened them by saying "..Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shutter you. And you know I can do it.."(Miller, Act 1, 20). She would never play around when it came to getting in trouble or ruining her chances with John Proctor. Elizabeth Proctor can be described as merely opposite of Abigail. A faithful wife of John Proctor, Elizabeth showed her community how to be more than a bystander in life. John considered her the sweetest, most confident, and honest woman he has ever met. When determining his hanging, John offered Elizabeth to speak of a incident that recently occurred because he knew she would tell the complete truth, even if his life was on the line. He said to the judges "In her life sir, she will never lie" (Miller, Act 3,111). Although Proctor committed adultery, Elizabeth worked on forgiving him because of her kind and religious heart. She never gave up trying to get John to focus on her again. For example, she says "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!" (Miller, Act 2.62).
In the beginning of the story, when Abigail first started accusing people of witchcraft everyone believed her and also accused others. Looking at a cow, something dropping as you walk past it, sneezing during church, any of these things could be thought of as witchcraft. The Puritans biggest fear; defiance of God; making the Puritan religion a major role in this play. Therefore, anything that dealt with sin would be taken very seriously. Moral laws and state laws would be considered one and the same, sin and the status of individuals soul would be matters of public concerns. Abigail could be considered the opposite of Puritan society. As a result of being idolized in her colony, people would be mesmerized by her lies. She took the town by a leash just by winning over the courts with her manipulative ways. Likewise, Elizabeth Proctor could be considered an ideal member of the Puritan society. She could be described as a stereotypical farmers wife who was devoted to her religion.
In some ways, Abigail and Elizabeth could seem as though they were similar. Their character motives was one thing that made them particularly different. Abigail Williams desire for John Proctor and hatred of Elizabeth can be described as shameful. She loved for all of the wrong reasons. When her uncle, Mr. Parris, accused her of committing a crime with John, she would lie and blame it on Elizabeth. She once said "She hates me uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It's a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!" (Miller, Act 1, 12). Consequently, she feared discovery of her transgressions, dancing in the woods, wishing Goody Proctor dead, and drinking the blood. Elizabeth Proctor wanted to regain Proctors love and respect. She wanted to be the good loving wife that he knew she could be. Most importantly, she wanted Abigail out of their lives for good.
still need a written conclusion; and cannot use passive voice
