Crucibles

In the play Crucibles, Arthur Miller guides the audience’s sympathies to John Proctor, not Abigail Williams, in the case of their adultery. What about you? Did you sympathize with John Procotor or Abigail Williams?

In the play Crucibles, Arthur Miller guides the audience’s sympathies to John Proctor, not Abigail Williams, in the case of their adultery. When I watched and read the play, of course, just like what Arthur Miller had wanted us to lean towards, I had sympathies for John Proctor and not Abigail Williams. In the beginning of the play, of course you know that John Proctor had something going on with Abigail Williams. He clearly then told her that he was not able to do it anymore and told her off. Abigail went on ahead and made up lies about witchery. She ended up convincing Betty to lie with her. After Mary tells the truth about the lie, Abigail goes on and accuses Mary. Mary was left shocked and afraid that she ends up turning it to John Proctor even though she was trying to help him at first. John Proctor is left with the accusations in the end. Abigail and the girls even took her uncle’s money and ran off. Now, John Proctor would have been saved if he would have just admitted to witchery but his pride got the best of him and he ended up getting hanged. This clearly would not have happened if Abigail didn’t make up such stories about witchery. She caused many people to get killed. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure having an affair and having caused deaths of others are two way different cases. I feel that what Abigail did was something that was unacceptable.

The production of the play definitely made me see more. I was able to see John Proctor’s face expressions. I could see that he loved his wife and he was trying his best to let her out of prison. I could also see the expressions of Abigail. She had expressions that were very confident. At one point, she went right up to the judge’s face with no fear at all. Seeing that made me sympathize with John Proctor.