Changing Characteristics
Change is good. A phrase heard everywhere. From company slogans to motivational speeches, our world seems to impose this idea that change is always an important concept. Assuming that the change is for the better, it is probably a true statement in most cases. In the play, "The Crucible," characters were put in tough situations where they feel uncomfortable and they need for something to change in order to resolve the problem. The definition of a crucible is actually a "heat-resistant container in which materials inside can be subjected to great heat." (Merriam-Webster) This is very fitting for the play because the girls are like the heat on the outside, putting pressure and tension on the adults in the village, who are like the materials on the inside. Three main characters display a need to change more than any others in the play. The first person is John Proctor, who changes somewhat through the play. The second is Abigail Williams, who attempts to change the people around her. And the third is Reverend John Hale, who changes quite dramatically through the play. All of these characters recognize that change is needed, but approach the problem from different perspectives.
John Proctor was the first person to change in the play. At the beginning of the play, Proctor was an extremely selfish person who would do anything to protect his affair with Abigail Williams. In a dialogue between Procter and Williams, Proctor tried to completely rid Abigail's mind of their affair by telling her that “ we never touched, Abby.” (Miller, act I) But when Abigail tried to bring out the truth, Proctor quickly revoked it: “Aye, but we did not.” (Miller, act I) At this point, Proctor would have done anything to keep his affair undercover. Nonetheless, throughout the play, as things got worse and worse, he realized that the only thing that he can do to stop Abigail's rampage is to admit that he has had the affair. This might seem senseless but he knew it was the only thing that might work. “I have known her, sir. I have known her,” (Miller, act III) cried John Proctor in the courtroom. Unfortunately, his confession was too late. When they brought Elizabeth, Proctor's wife, in to testify against him, she, not knowing, told the court that her husband was innocent. This condemned John to death for trying to overthrow the court. Proctor has already undergone a change during the play, as he becomes willing to confess his secret affair. After John is sentenced to death, one might think that there is no hope for him now. Anyhow, the court offered John a pardon if he admits to witchcraft. To save his own life, John signed a document that said he had been practicing witchcraft. After a change in heart, John destroyed the paper and decided that living a life knowing that he is innocent would be too much to bear for him as well as his family. Why would Proctor not choose to lie so he could live? John chose to die “because it is name! Because can...
