Characters We Are Lead to Like & Dislike in Act One of the Crucible by Arthur Miller
Characters we are lead to like and dislike in Act 1 of The Crucible by Arthur Miller
By Carys Castro.
Abigail Williams is one of the protagonists. She is manipulative and unthruthful from the very beginning as she refers to their dancing in the woods as nothing but a “sport”, and then says “there be no blush about my name”. She lies because she is clearly scared of her uncle, Reverend Parris. However, when John Proctor comes in, it is clear that she still has feelings for him as she says to him, “ you loved me then, and…you love me yet!” Also, because of her affair with John Proctor, she is very bitter with Goody Elizabeth Proctor for consequently firing her. In Act 1, I think we are lead to dislike her because she is very devious and self-centred as she knows all the right things to say to control people. For example, when they are whipping Tituba for answers, Abigail hysterically screams accusations such as, “she makes me laugh at prayer!” – which was a serious allegation in those days because Puritans believed that God was the single utmost importance in life.
John Proctor is another protagonist. While he may sound heroic in his narrative - described as “respected and even feared in Salem…a man in his prime…with a quiet confidence and an unexpressed, hidden force” – he possesses a fatal flaw; his lust for Abigail. Although he is determined to resist the temptation, “I’ll cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach you again”, he clearly still has feelings for Abigail as she asks if he ever looks up to her window and he replies, “I may have looked up”. We also know that he is married to Elizabeth Proctor and that she is quite cold towards him because she eventually suspected John and Abigail’s affair and subsequently fired her. However, he respects Elizabeth greatly because she is a good mother to their children and a devoted Christian; John snaps, “You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth!”, at Abigail for insulting Elizabeth. I think we are lead to like John as he
By Carys Castro.
Abigail Williams is one of the protagonists. She is manipulative and unthruthful from the very beginning as she refers to their dancing in the woods as nothing but a “sport”, and then says “there be no blush about my name”. She lies because she is clearly scared of her uncle, Reverend Parris. However, when John Proctor comes in, it is clear that she still has feelings for him as she says to him, “ you loved me then, and…you love me yet!” Also, because of her affair with John Proctor, she is very bitter with Goody Elizabeth Proctor for consequently firing her. In Act 1, I think we are lead to dislike her because she is very devious and self-centred as she knows all the right things to say to control people. For example, when they are whipping Tituba for answers, Abigail hysterically screams accusations such as, “she makes me laugh at prayer!” – which was a serious allegation in those days because Puritans believed that God was the single utmost importance in life.
John Proctor is another protagonist. While he may sound heroic in his narrative - described as “respected and even feared in Salem…a man in his prime…with a quiet confidence and an unexpressed, hidden force” – he possesses a fatal flaw; his lust for Abigail. Although he is determined to resist the temptation, “I’ll cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach you again”, he clearly still has feelings for Abigail as she asks if he ever looks up to her window and he replies, “I may have looked up”. We also know that he is married to Elizabeth Proctor and that she is quite cold towards him because she eventually suspected John and Abigail’s affair and subsequently fired her. However, he respects Elizabeth greatly because she is a good mother to their children and a devoted Christian; John snaps, “You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth!”, at Abigail for insulting Elizabeth. I think we are lead to like John as he