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Class Character Notes for Arthur Miller's the Crucible

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Class Character Notes for Arthur Miller's the Crucible American Lit. Honors Ms. Yatco Class Character Notes for Arthur Miller’s The Crucible October 2014 Questions to Consider: • How is your character first introduced? (Pay attention to Miller’s diction, the stage directions, and characters’ body language.) • What are your character's motives and fears? (What drives your character to act the way he or she does? What does he or she want? What are his or her insecurities?) • What are other characters' attitudes towards your character? Characters are listed in order of their appearance in the drama. Any italicized notes are my questions, comments, or additions. –Ms. Yatco Reverend Parris 1. Man in his mid-forties, introduced evidently in prayer • Believed he was being persecuted wherever he went • Felt insulted if something was done without his permission • Widower • Did not care for kids 2. Motivated by power and wealth • Feared that his public image would be damaged 3. Many other characters did not like Parris (ex: Putnam and Proctor) Reverend Parris 1. Reverend Parris is a critical character in the Crucible. He was first introduced on page 3 as “evidently” praying as he kneels near the bed. His daughter, Betty Parris is laying on the bed he is kneeling next to. As he is kneeling, he is very distressed, worried, confused, and emotional. He seems very religious, but the audience does not know if he is truly praying, or what he is praying for. Continuing on page 3, Miller gives more information on Parris. He states that Parris is a widower in his mid-forties and that he has “cut a villainous path, and there is very little good to be said for him.” Miller also states, “He believed he was being persecuted wherever he went, despite his best efforts to win people and God to his side.” Reverend Parris is being described in these quotes that despite being a minister, he is not a very good person. He is very defensive and feels that he is constantly being targeted by the people in the town and feels that he cannot receive God’s help. Another trait described on page 3 is that he has “no interest in children, or talent with them.” Despite having a daughter of his own, Parris does not understand or value children. Reverend Parris is introduced again on page 7 as he is actually praying, but the audience does not know what he is saying. Parris is extremely worried and weeps between prayers. When Tituba enters the room on page 7 and 8, Parris becomes hostile and “scrambles to his feet in a fury.” He prays again as he “quakes in fear” and says American Lit. Honors Ms. Yatco “God help me.” The diction in these quotes reveals important character traits. Parris is not praying for Betty, but is praying for his own sake instead. He is extremely worried because he knows that his enemies will use his daughter’s sickness against him. This shows Parris is extremely selfish and paranoid about his social standing in Salem. These traits are also shown when he is talking to Abigail Williams and says, “But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it”. Another trait shown in the introduction is greed. This is shown as, despite being a minister who should not be worried over materialistic things, is worried over his lumber and salary. The final trait shown in the introduction is his accusing and pressuring nature. When he is questioning Abigail Williams, he makes her feel very pressured, but continues to think selfishly saying, “you compromise my character” and “now my ministry’s at stake.” 2-3. Reverend Parris is mostly fearful of losing his position of authority and social standing as minister. He is aware that he has enemies and will do anything to remain minister. For example, despite being hostile towards Tituba, when Ann Putnam enters Betty’s room, he is kind and welcomes her in. He does this because Ann Putnam is always involved in gossip so Parris can use her to know what the town is saying and to be able to spread rumors that will help his reputation in Salem. However, he is greatly disliked throughout all of Salem. Along with having a faction against him in the church, many people dislike him. John Proctor is one person who is very open and blunt about his dislike for Parris. John Proctor even says that he did not have his third child baptized because he sees “no light of God in that man.” Another person who has some resentment towards Parris is Thomas Putnam. Thomas Putnam’s wife’s brother-in-law lost the spot of minister to Parris and is known to be vindictive in the town. The final person who is not fond of Parris is Abigail Williams. Abigail is defiant towards Parris and thinks he is not smart enough to know that they really did do witchcraft in the woods. This is shown when Abigail is talking to Mercy Lewis and states, “Listen, now; if they be questioning us, tell them we danced – I told him as much already.” Betty Parris 1. Reverend Parris’ 10 year old daughter • Has illness which leads to witchcraft accusations • Screams, cannot bear to hear the Lord’s name, tries to jump out the window 3. Loved by Tituba Betty Parris 1. Introduced as 10 years old, found lying on the bed either sleeping or passed out • Innocent and naïve – She was just going along with Abby earlier in the forest. • Some believe she is possessed by witchcraft and that she is under a spell. • Previously dancing in the forest the night before • Tries to fly, whimpers • Runs off the bed to the wall American Lit. Honors Ms. Yatco • Starts crying about her mother who is dead • Wants to confess about Abby drinking the blood • Rebecca Nurse comes in and stands over Betty. She begins to calm down. • Betty starts accusing people of interacting with the devil ! Missing an important step in between these last two bullet points! How does she go from being calmed down by Rebecca Nurse to accusing people of witchcraft? 2. Fears: • Being punished for dancing in the forest 3. Others’ Attitude Toward Betty: • Reverend Parris – worried about how her behavior will affect his image • Rebecca Nurse – believes she is just acting like a child Tituba Tituba is in her 40’s, is from Barbados, and is the slave of Parris. She is fearful of authority because she has been a slave for so long and knows when to leave and step back. Tituba is defensive of herself when they accuse her of witchcraft, and drops to her knees and begs for her life. She is afraid of being executed for being a witch. Tituba 1. Tituba, a Barbadian slave of "Negro" origin, is introduced in the first scene, yet she is mentioned even before we see her. She comes in Betty's room to visit the apparently possessed child and is promptly accused of "bewitching" her; afterwards, Samuel Parris incriminates Abigail for having danced in the forest naked and apparently having drunken blood from a brew Tituba concocted. Abigail's response is to blame Tituba, asserting that the latter forced her to drink the blood. 2. After Abigail blames her for the apparent witchcraft, Tituba knows that although she is older, Abigail's word will always be held higher than hers--after all, Tituba is a black slave, and Abigail white and free. Thus, it is idiotic to defend one's personal honor by debating this accusation. However, she does assume culpability, but swears she has repented and attempts to prove this by accusing others of witchcraft. 3. Tituba is innately mistrusted by other townspeople by virtue of her race and status; however, in terms of accusing others of witchcraft, she is deemed a reliable source as she is still a repentant sinner. Abigail Williams 1. When introduced, she is worried (more so about being accused than about Betty). • Described as having an “endless capacity for dissembling” • Wicked • Conceals her true motives American Lit. Honors Ms. Yatco 2. Motivated by her love* for Proctor (*Is “love” the right word here?) • Fears being accused of witchcraft Abigail Williams 1. As she enters the room in Parris’s house, she is described as “strikingly beautiful, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling (hiding motives).” • Body language/mood: Worrisome (she quavers at orders), resentful, deceptive (knows about dress lying in the grass, but deceives Parris with an innocent act; page 11) 2. Motives: Abigail is focused on revenge against Elizabeth Proctor because she had an affair with her husband; she also wants revenge on the town against its citizens having accused her for adultery. Fears: She fears being caught in the act of witchcraft and fears of her true actions being revealed (what happened in the forest, her wish to kill Elizabeth, her hysteria). 3. Characters’ attitudes toward her: • Elizabeth has intense resentment toward Abigail. • John still has feelings for her, but does not reveal them in the open. (Perhaps some soft feelings, but he does also tell her directly – even when it’s just the two of them – that it’s over between them.) Additional characteristics – Manipulative toward other accused girls (forces Betty to keep the forest secrets to herself); secretive. Ann Putnam Ann Putnam is a twisted soul of 45, death ridden, and is haunted by her dreams. Ann may believe that she is predestined for Hell because she lost 7 of her children and is now losing another one.
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