Examples Of Archetypes In The Crucible

Uncovering the Archetypes in Arthur Miller's The Crucible In The Crucible, Arthur Miller demonstrates a wide range of archetypes creating complex characters such as the tragic hero John Proctor, the villain Abigail Williams, and the wise elder Reverend John Hale who together illuminate the play's themes of power, truth, and justice. Aristotle’s idea of a tragic hero is one who has a tragic flaw causing their downfall which is present in John Proctor who best fits the phases of a tragic hero which are hamartia, peripeteia and reversal, anagnorisis, and catharsis. Abigail Williams is seen as an antagonist in the play as she was the cause of the witch trials due to her desire for Proctor. Reverend John Hale throughout the play is seen

All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and l have seen some reddish work done at night, and l can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! She goes to BETTY and roughly sits her up. Now, you—sit up and stop this!” (Miller 20)

This quote shows Abigail's manipulation as she uses fear to silence those who may speak against her, even threatening violence. Furthermore, Abigail's actions throughout the play cause the deaths of innocent people in Salem. As stated in "Abigail Williams as a Femme Fatale in The Crucible",

Abigail Williams is thus, similar to traditional femme fatales of hard-boiled detective fiction and film noir in her transgression of sexual desire and in her desire for power. She is willing to risk everything, including others lives in order to achieve what she wants, in the same way the femme fatale is willing to risk her life and kill others to achieve sexual rewards or money. (Muñoz

As Hooti argues in "The Quest for Identity in Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible,'" as stated, “At a personal level, Hale exhibits the missionary zeal, at the social level, he is able to view the whole tragedy emanating from the Salem hysteria from the point of view of the general public and more notably, from the point of view of the accused”(Hooti 73). This quote further illustrates that at the beginning of the play, Hale is seen as a wise person. However, by the end of the play, he is seen as a mentor when he tries to persuade Proctor to falsely confess, explaining that life is more important than