The Crucible

A crucible is defined as a severe test or ordeal a person goes through. That being said several characters in the play “The Crucible” by Author Miller are put through these test, but some more than others. The characters in this play that are put through the hardest trials are John Proctor, Reverend Hale, and Elizabeth Proctor.

Elizabeth has to go through the test of trying to convince her husband that he must decide for himself what he wants to do with him life weather he wants to give his to save other people or kill himself and save the others. For example, while in the court room while John Proctor was trying to decide weather he should sign the papers or not Elizabeth tells the judge that “He [John Proctor] have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!”(145). Elizabeth is telling them that John knows it his choice and she won’t influence him and take away his choice. Elizabeth is intrusting him to do what he thinks is right after he forgives him. John Proctor could not decide what to do because he needs to believe his wife forgives him. Elizabeth tells him while she was in prison that “[It] come to naught that I should forgive you, if you’ll forgive yourself” (136). Elizabeth is trying to tell John that he doesn’t need her forgiveness to make a choice he just needs to do what is right. Proving that she has difficult trails and comes out a better person because of it.

Reverend Hale also had a very trying crucible he was to make the choice of believing that he can save a town full he believes is full of witches. For instance, at the beginning of act I at Reverend Parris’s Hale entered and said to Parris “They [his books] must be [heavy]; they are weighted with authority” (36). Hale at this point in the play seems a little arrogant like the authority of his books alone can save the town. He also seems set in his ways believing what he hears about witches in the town. His point of view changes when he realizes that people are lying in this town. For example, when he is I the court talking to the deputy he claims “We cannot blind it more. There is a prodigious fear of this court in the country” (98). Proving that what he thought was an honest town is now turning on people out of fear that they might be accused. He wants to believe the people are honest, but he knows that fear can change honest people. His ordeal truly changes his look on life and people.

The person who goes through the hardest test is John Proctor. John Proctor has the worst thing to go through the has to chose between saving his friends and family in the town or saving his self. For example while speaking in the court while Danforth is trying to persuade him into signing his confession he exclaims “You will not use me! It is no part of salvation that you should use me! I have children-how may teach them to walk like men in the world, and sold my friends” (143). He’s thinking about what people will think of him and his family if he signs the confession. He thinks that if he does do this he’s not only selling out his friends, but his family as well. John Proctor has shown that he not only care about his family but the people. For instance while he is in the court and Danforth tries to get him to sign his confession he claims “I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it” (141). Proving that even though he could and has the morals to face this test and say that he wont lie about these people. John Proctor has to face the most difficult test choosing his life in exchange for the life’s of the other people about to be hung.

A several character in the crucible face ordeals in this play and all are life changing, but the character that has changed for the better John Proctor. John Proctor has shown that he has a big heart and has truly changed from his tests. People all over the world have to face trials some come out of it for the better like John Proctor does.