Elizabeth Proctor The Crucible Analysis

The word crucible is defined as a pot that can withstand great heat, a severe test or trial, or as a way to describe a very high grade of steel. All three of these definitions can describe Elizabeth Proctor, a character in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. In the play, Elizabeth withstood a large amount of trouble, or “heat,” and went through a hard trial or test in her life. A very high grade of steel can also describe Elizabeth because she is a “high grade” or admirable person. Within the play, Elizabeth Proctor is the best example of the three definitions of the word crucible. The first definition of crucible is a pot that can withstand a great amount of heat. Elizabeth accurately portrays this example because she withstood a great amount of trouble within the play. Trouble first finds Elizabeth when her husband has an affair …show more content…
She relates to this because she is a very “high grade” or a very admirable person. This is shown in the play when Elizabeth forgives Proctor for having an affair. In Act IV, Elizabeth states, “...I never knew such goodness in the world!” (1229. This quote shows the reader that despite Proctor’s mistakes, Elizabeth still believes that Proctor is a good man. Another example of admirability and selflessness in Elizabeth is the fact that she allows Proctor to not confess. Elizabeth tells John, “Do as you will, do as you will!” (1228). This reveals that Elizabeth wants John to do what he wants and what he feels is right. The last example that shows that Elizabeth is an admirable person is her ability to recognize her own flaws. Elizabeth reveals this when she says, “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery” (1227). This lastly shows that Elizabeth knows that she is also a sinner and that she was also at fault within their