“Long-held hatreds [were] openly expressed and vengeance taken”(7) in the Puritan society described by Arthur Miller in The Crucible. Though Puritans are very religious and value honesty, the emergence of the witch hunts brings great chaos and a religious reason to prosecute and judge one’s enemies. By placing Elizabeth in such a world, Miller uses Elizabeth 's evolution in terms of compassion to illustrate that in a world that abuses religion for personal gain, a person who remains true to that religious ideology often finds themselves judging those closest to them, before realizing that the purest form of religion advocates for compassion and selflessness. Embracing those selfless and compassionate ideals ultimately cause pain and suffering.
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She is shown “supporting herself against collapse” and crying, demonstrating emotional turmoil and grief to the point of “collapse”, or physical weakness present only in situations of extreme emotional distress, yet she still respects Proctor’s decision to go through with the hanging instead of confessing himself, insisting that “he have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” (145). She no longer feels any judgement towards Proctor; “she can recognize and understand her husband’s motivation as she allows him to go to his death” (Martine 5). Her giving permission by “allow[ing]” him to abstain from confessing himself stems from deep compassion and selflessness, along with her embrace of religion. Elizabeth cannot condemn Proctor’s behavior, for he is behaving religiously, and she refuses to force him to lie and give in to Hale and Parris’ urging to go against God’s will. Elizabeth Proctor acts as a Christ figure within the text, characterized by her compassion, selflessness, and piety. A character that is “sacrificing [them]self in some way for others”(Foster) characterizes a Christ figure, and Elizabeth embodies the role perfectly. She remains true to her religious ideals, following the Ten Commandments religiously and caring about Proctor’s well-being more than her
She is shown “supporting herself against collapse” and crying, demonstrating emotional turmoil and grief to the point of “collapse”, or physical weakness present only in situations of extreme emotional distress, yet she still respects Proctor’s decision to go through with the hanging instead of confessing himself, insisting that “he have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” (145). She no longer feels any judgement towards Proctor; “she can recognize and understand her husband’s motivation as she allows him to go to his death” (Martine 5). Her giving permission by “allow[ing]” him to abstain from confessing himself stems from deep compassion and selflessness, along with her embrace of religion. Elizabeth cannot condemn Proctor’s behavior, for he is behaving religiously, and she refuses to force him to lie and give in to Hale and Parris’ urging to go against God’s will. Elizabeth Proctor acts as a Christ figure within the text, characterized by her compassion, selflessness, and piety. A character that is “sacrificing [them]self in some way for others”(Foster) characterizes a Christ figure, and Elizabeth embodies the role perfectly. She remains true to her religious ideals, following the Ten Commandments religiously and caring about Proctor’s well-being more than her