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?
When I watched
and read the play, I had sympathies for John and not Abigail. In the beginning,
you know that John had something going on with Abigail. He clearly then told
her that he was unable to continue 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, left shocked, becomes afraid that she ends up turning it to John even
though she was trying to help him at first. John is left with the accusations
in the end. Abigail and the girls even took her uncle’s money and ran off. John
would have been saved if he would have admitted to witchery but his pride got
the best of him and he ended up getting hanged. This would not have happened if
Abigail didn’t make up such stories about witchery. She caused many people to
get killed. I’m pretty sure having an affair and causing deaths of others are
two way different cases. What Abigail did was unacceptable.
The production
of the play definitely made me see more. I was able to see John’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.
