This book report consists of the basic details of the novel, as well as a summary of the plot, character descriptions and summaries of the main characters, personal experience whilst engaging with the novel, subjective opinions of the novel, reader recommendations and an evaluation of the themes, m...
, Novel Details
Title: The Crucible
Author: Arthur Miller ISBN: 9780143129479
Genre: Tragedy, Play Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Pages: 160
Publication Date: 18 October 2016 Special features: Photographs
Plot
The Crucible is a fictionalized account of the Salem witch trials, which occurred in the
Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1690s. The play begins when Betty Parris, her cousin
Abigail Williams and their slave Tituba are caught dancing naked in the forest. They proclaim
to have been bewitched and accuse other residents of being witches in attempts to avoid
repercussions. The town is engulfed in panic, and hundreds of Salem residents are accused
of witchcraft. Elizabeth Proctor, one of the accused, declares her innocence to her husband,
John Proctor, who once had an affair with Abigail. When John realizes that Abigail is the
driving force of the witch hunt, he confesses his adultery to rescue his wife. Instead, he
convicted of devil worship. John, being a man of integrity, refuses to submit to the culture of
admitting to fictitious witchcraft, leaving him to be executed.
Characters
John Proctor
John Proctor can be seen as the play’s tragic hero. He is a man of noble status but is riddled
with a fatal flaw – his affair with Abigail as well as his personal integrity. This flaw is what
fuels the witch trails as it sparked Abigail’s undertaking to dismiss Elizabeth. Proctor admits
to his flaws in the eyes of God. However, he is left to die with his integrity.
Elizabeth Proctor
Elizabeth is John Proctor’s loving and caring wife. Her trust is broken by her husband’s affair
and throughout the play they are in the process of rebuilding their relationship. Elizabeth is
victimized by the Salem witch-trials as she is targeted by Abigail who tries to incarcerate her
but is unsuccessful. In the play’s conclusion Elisabeth is widowed and left to raise two
children on her own.
Abigail Williams
Abigail is the driving force of the plot. She drives the witch trails and acts as John Proctor’s
antagonist. However, she is not simply a villain, she is sculpted into one by the society. From
a young age, Abigail is rejected by the community and being a woman reduces the voice she
did not have to begin with. Her position in the societal ladder is exacerbated by her marital
status and her not being a virgin – making her almost equivalent to a slave in status. The
trials are what give her a sense of authority and a voice.
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