“Character Analysis over The Crucible” Arthur Miller is a commonly-known playwright, most famous for his 1953 play, The Crucible. The basis for The Crucible came from the witch trials which occurred in Salem, Massachusetts during the puritan era. Miller even uses some of the same characters in his dramatized play that were a part of the original witch trials in Salem. However, Miller made a few alterations to the historical members of the Salem society in order to suit his dramatic purpose in The Crucible, particularly Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Samuel Parris. In The Crucible, Miller described Abigail as a “beautiful girl, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling” (Miller 142). In the story, Williams serves as the …show more content…
In the story John was described as, “a farmer in his middle thirties… He was the kind of man-powerful of body, even-tempered and not easily led” (Miller 148). In the story, Proctor serves as one of the main protagonists, a thirty-something year-old man who saw the corruption in the witch trial system before many of the other characters in The Crucible. However, the historical John Proctor was a man in his sixties. This change was made in order to shape the character of John Proctor into the protagonist that he is in The Crucible. According to Harold …show more content…
Abigail William’s age was raised in order to make the romantic relationship between John Proctor and Abigail practical. Similarly, John’s age was lowered to add to the emotional effect of his death. On the other hand, Reverend Samuel Parris’s character was not altered because the historical Parris already embodied the characteristics that Miller desired for the story. Overall, the changes Miller made to the characters helped to shape The Crucible and allowed the reader connect to its historically-based