Character Analysis The Crucible by Arthur Miller takes place in the town of Salem in 1692. During this time John Proctor and Reverend John Hale are trying to heal with the town of Salem that is under chaos during the Salem witch trials. John Proctor is important to the story because he is trying to save his wife, Elizabeth from being accused of witchcraft. Another important character is Reverend John Hale for, he is an expert of witchcraft and he is determined to help the town of Salem. John Proctor and Reverend John Hale have extremely dissimilar character traits. Here are some examples. One of the main characters in the novel is John Proctor. He is married to Elizabeth Proctor and is a well-known man in the community. Proctor has a very