Crucible Essay

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Jonathan Walton Block 2
November 4, 2014 Crucible Essay

In literature, there are two types of characters, static characters and dynamic characters. Static characters do not change throughout the duration of the story, but dynamic characters do change throughout the story. A dynamic character can be described by their actions, beliefs, and their relationships with others. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor can be described as a dynamic character. One way John Proctor is dynamic is through his relationship with Elizabeth Proctor. It goes from a relationship based on mistrust and deceit, to a relationship where they both love each other again. In Act 2, John and Elizabeth Proctor have a large amount of mistrust in their relationship because of John’s affair with Abigail. In their fight over Abigail, John says,
“Spare me! You forget nothin’ and you forget nothin’. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into court when I come into this house.
This shows that their relationship is not a strong one and it is based on mistrust. As a rebuttal, Elizabeth says,
“John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not.”
This truly shows that they cannot trust each other. Elizabeth knows that John still has feelings for Abigail and he will not admit it. For this reason, he will not go to court to discredit Abigail for this reason, but also because he does not want to face the truth of what he has done. Lastly, amidst this fight, he is angry with a vicious undertone because he does not want to face the consequences of his actions, and he cannot bear to hear about it. In both Act 3 and the end of Act 2, his relationship with Elizabeth Proctor begins to shift in a different direction when John goes to the court to save both Elizabeth and his fellow neighbors. At this point in their relationship, their mistrust begins to dwindle when John decides to commit to being a lecher. When he did this, he said,
“In her life sir, she have never lied. There are them that cannot sing, and them that cannot weep-my wife cannot lie. I have paid much to learn it sir.”
Instead of either not saying anything or defending Abigail, he decided to accuse Abigail and to try to save his wife. This shows the mistrust in their relationship really starting to dissolve. Then, when Elizabeth is brought into court, the same kind of thing happens, even if it may have a bad outcome. She says,
“My husband is a good and righteous man. He is never drunk as some are, nor wastin’ his time at the shovelboard, but always at his work.”
By saying this, Elizabeth is trying to save John’s name. She wouldn’t have done this unless she truly loved him and their relationship was starting to improve. Especially after what he did to her by sleeping with Abigail Williams. Sadly, this ends in the witch trials continuing, and the eventual death of John Proctor. Lastly, John has a look of desperation when this is happening because he is direly intent on saving Elizabeth from being hung. In Act 4, their relationship is more or less fully recovered. This happens when John earns his redemption and gets hung for being affiliated with the devil. This is shown when John says things like,
“You are a marvel Elizabeth.” And “I would have your forgiveness Elizabeth.”
He is truly ashamed and broken over what he had done with Abigail, and he wants to make things right with Elizabeth before he confesses to being a witch. Elizabeth has also forgiven him for what he had done, and she shows this by saying,
“I want you living John, that’s sure.” And “I have read my heart this three month John. I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.”
She is saying that she has been a bad wife for prompting lechery upon him, and wants things to be as they were before the incident with Abigail. This is the time in which their relationship is truly the strongest,
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