The Crucible

The Crucible Arthur Miller’s The Crucible has two types of characters: there are good characters and there are evil characters; no one rides the fence. Everything in this play is black or white; there’s hardly any gray. There are heroes and there are villains. Abigail Williams is certainly the villain. John Proctor is certainly the hero. While Abigail is clearly evil, and there is hardly a streak of good in her, John Proctor …

…are more heroic than those without them. John Proctor is heroic because he overcomes his sin, puts his past behind him, and stands up for what is right. Should he have only confessed and saved himself from the gallows? Perhaps, but there are two sides to every issue. Did the dust indeed praise him? Did the worms declare his truth? It matters not. “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him.” 3