What Is Elizabeth Proctor's Role In The Crucible

Improved Essays
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Elizabeth Proctor is known to be a moral Christian woman who is convicted of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Throughout history, Puritan women’s roles have been to take care of the household, depending on the time period these roles have evolved. In the play, Elizabeth is characterized to be a morally upright person. However, during the trials, she commits a sin by lying in court and saying her husband, John Proctor, never had an affair with Abigail Williams. Elizabeth Proctor is prompted to lie in court during the witch trials because she decides to prove her loyalty as a good puritan wife, save her husband's reputation, and reconcile her marriage and family.
Elizabeth Proctor is a very understanding, devoted and compliant, good Puritan wife for her family. She takes good care of the household by preparing meals, completing chores, and looking after her children. Elizabeth is represented to be the good Puritan wife for the Proctor family home when John Proctor
…show more content…
Elizabeth's words convey the truth about how she feels in her relationship with John Proctor, miserable and damaged. In order to keep her family and marriage from falling apart, she reconciles her relations with John Proctor.
Elizabeth Proctor is a virtuous Puritan wife who is recognized for her moral beliefs about her lord. Throughout the trials, she perpetuates a sin in order to stay by her husband’s side but instead ends up condemning him. Committing to lechery sometime in the future is just the same as committing to a sin that will never be lost or forgotten. Elizabeth Proctor lies at the court hearing during Salem Witch Trials for the sake of justifying her devotion as a Puritan wife, save her husband's name and reputation, and keep her family and marriage from falling

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    After discovering Proctor’s secret meeting with Abigail where the two discussed the standing of the witch trials and how it “was all just sport”; Elizabeth made her husband promise to tell Danforth about what Abigail has told him. Despite her obvious discontent with Proctor’s secrecy in the sense of “back[ing] away” from his kiss, Elizabeth soon forgave her husband when trial came. As Proctor risked his own “name” to end the dreaded trials, Elizabeth sought only to protect her beloved husband, compelling her to lie for his sake. Having redeemed himself (John Proctor), Elizabeth would argue her husband’s honor and…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This made Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s wife, a prime target for Abigail Williams. John and Abigail had an affair in the past, but now he rejects her and is trying his best to prove to his wife that he only wants her. Once Abigail accuses Elizabeth, she is arrested by the court just like everyone else who has been accused. John Proctor does his best to save her, but he ends up by himself in jail and eventually being taken to the gallows. All at the same time, Elizabeth has been released from jail because she is pregnant and Abigail has…

    • 946 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    However Elizabeth differs from Abigail. When looking at Elizabeth through the archetypal lens she reveals the archetype of the lover. A particular example of this is when Elizabeth was asked about her husband 's affairs. Elizabeth first starts to tell the court what happened; however later when asked specifically about the affair she responds, “My husband-is a goodly man, sir” (III). She is a lover because she is Proctor 's wife and even though he has been unfaithful, she has that mentality that Proctor is the one and only guy that she will stand by.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Proctor is the protagonist of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” because he is an advocate of a cause or belief and a figure that furthers the plot. John Proctor is an advocate of several causes. One event that he fights against is the court's decision to condemn his wife, Elizabeth, of witchcraft. He states to the court, “..she thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave!..” (III.374-384).…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, expressed many different characters with dissimilar intentions and motivations in great length. These dramatic emotions tied along with greed and desire allowed this playwright to come to life and create an overall exhilarating read for the audience. Most characters in this play have important roles that demonstrate their true incentive in what they will get out of this huge mess of hysteria. The character of Abigail is very interesting to touch upon.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Karolina Jakubczak Ms. Nyznyk ENG3U1 January 22, 2016 John Proctor : The Tragic Hero of The Crucible A tragic hero can be describe as a noble literary character who exhibits a fatal flaw that combined with fate, external forces and pressures leads to the character’s fall from greatness. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, John Proctor is portrayed as the tragic hero.…

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    She is delusional in thinking that with John’s wife out of the way that they will be together. Now, not only was she guilty of an inappropriate relationship with a married man but she was also caught dancing in the woods which was a punishable sin and in order to deflect attention from her actions she accused others. Of course, this is still an often used ploy in our own justice system today. Proctor says “I am only wondering how I may prove what she told me, Elizabeth.…

    • 1136 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The distressed wife of John Proctor, Elizabeth, exclaimed “Do what you will. But let none be your judge. There be no higher judge under Heaven than Proctor is!” when she realized that her husband was to be hung for witchcraft immediately (Miller 1270). Since both John and Elizabeth Proctor’s ludicrous trials, they had spent three months separated in jail to await their imminent hangings.…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Crucible Justice Quotes

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages

    ' 'Whatever you will do, it is a good man does it. ' ' Elizabeth says to John, this shows how truly deep her love is for this man. Elizabeth is the wife of Proctor and they are both entitled to each other and all that they have to offer. At the beginning of the play she is pegged as an over dramatic mean lady and towards the end of this play she is more looked at as a loving and more caring…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sacrifice is giving up something valuable of yours for someone else. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller witchcraft accusations were on the rise and Abigail Williams was the main accuser. As more and more women were accused, people started to get suspicious. Accusing people started to become a way to get back at someone that you have a grudge against. John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor were suspicious of the accusations and knew some things that the court was not aware of.…

    • 1604 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Because of her vengeful essence towards Elizabeth, Abigail lies in court claiming to the judge to have seen Elizabeth with the devil. Marry Warren delivers this news to the Proctor’s and says that Elizabeth’s name was, “Somewhat mentioned. But I said I never see no sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one” (Miller 63). Abigail accuses Elizabeth hoping to get her hung and out of her way to become Proctor’s new wife. Abigail goes further out her way as she sends Mary Warren back to the Proctor’s home with a poppet to plant in Elizabeth’s possession.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Proctor is put into a strenuous situation where he must try to prove his wife of innocence to witchcraft. Johns wife, Elizabeth, was accused of witchcraft by their old servant Abigail Williams whom John had an affair with. After John broke it off and made it clear to Abigail they would never become something, Abigail went to seek revenge on him by targeting his wife and accusing her of witchcraft simply out of jealousy. Elizabeth is proven guilty to be a witch and is sentenced to hang in less than a year since she is pregnant. John knows to save Elizabeth's life he must confess to the affair.…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, interpersonal conflict and private turmoil give rise to the Salem Witch Hunts. Among the private agonies that Miller’s characters face is the inability to express their sexuality. Sexual repression is defined as a state in which a person is prevented from expressing their own sexuality. Sexual repression is often associated with feelings of guilt or shame being associated with sexual impulses. Sexual repression plays a negative role on the characters throughout the play’s development and action by generating communal controversies, creating victims of innocent populations, and establishing greater infidelity and sexual strain.…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In other words, Elizabeth is saying his soul his pure now and he can die without having the horrible sin. Although everyone else knows about his tragic flaw, Proctor is willing to risk it and lift the weight off his chest. Proctor is easily seen as the tragic hero because of his high reputation in the town and when someone with that reputation has one mistake in judgment, it can only be that more obvious to people than with someone like Abigail. The town knows she is mischief, but people would not expect that with a well-liked…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Her character represents a divided one, where the superego dominates the id and the ego. She is most likely the most sane, driven character throughout the play because she is practical. She realizes the wrongdoings of her husband, John Proctor, but does not desire to take revenge or anything of the sort. Although most people who be outraged by the fact that their significant other had an affair, Elizabeth stays calm and understanding. She expressed those feelings to John in act two when she told Proctor, “I do not judge you……

    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays