Mary Warren In The Crucible

Titles in literature often carry symbolic meaning and significance. A particular author that did this was Arthur Miller, writer of The Crucible. In the play, Miller uses the word ‘crucible’ meaning “a container for melting or purifying metals”, as well as meaning “a severe test”. He portrays why he chose this title throughout the play in many of his characters; however there are three in particular that really stand out with these meanings. These three characters are John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Abigail Williams.

The first character in Miller's play that proves the significance of the title is John Proctor. John Proctor was faced with an abundant amount of guilt. He was faced with this guilt due to his affair with Abigail Williams. He

Mary makes it seem as if she is a good person in the beginning of the play. However, she is broken down to her true essence later on and goes through some personal changes. Mary is a naturally weak person, so she would rather go with what everyone else was saying rather than stand up for what is right. Readers are able to see how easily Mary is influenced by Abigail as well as the other girls. Mary and the other girls began to accuse innocent people of witchcraft in the court, which resulted in innocent lives being taken. While the girls were in court, Mary decided to sew a poppet doll for Elizabeth just as a simple gift. When Mary was done, she stuck the needle in the doll's stomach and Abigail saw an opportunity. Abigail then goes on to stab herself and accuse Elizabeth of using the poppet to cast an evil spirit upon her. When the police searched the Proctor household and found the poppet, Elizabeth was arrested. Mary felt as if the arrest was her fault considering she was the one who sewn the doll for Elizabeth. John Proctor was extremely upset about his wife’s arrest and pleaded for Mary to testify in court so his wife could be free. Mary decided that she would tell some of the lies the girls had told, but then when she realized they were still sticking with their stories, the fear of death overcame her. She felt as if she had no other option, so she went on to accuse John Proctor of witchcraft. This ultimately led to Proctor's death. While Mary wanted to stand up for everything that was true, she was filled with fear and so stuck under Abigail's manipulative tendencies that she never would. Miller definitely put Mary to the ultimate test throughout the story, even though she failed, she was a prime example of what a crucible