Character Analysis

HomeworkTask:

Choose twocharacters - one to whom you respond positively and one to you respondnegatively. What aspects of the text have positioned you to respond this way?You may want to consider representations, characterization and voice. Quote in support.

Positive Character: John Proctor

John’s character is appeals to the audience through his personal moral ethics and his less biblical run, way of living. Proctor is described as being “powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led…In proctor’s presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly.” When Proctor first makes an appearance on stage, after the girls left, Abigail tries to convince him to love her again. Thus, the audience becomes aware that they have shared a secret relationship, however Proctor broke it off, most likely in accordance with his morals. However, determined, Abigail continues to push him, finally she gets Proctor to confess that he still has feelings for her, however he tells her; “Abby, O may think ofyou softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reachfor you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby.” Abigail continues,yet stops when Reverend Parrish enters. The adults begin to argue whether this is witchcraft or not, yet the argument leads astray and they begin to argue about land rights. Throughout all, Proctor is able to appear superior to therest of them and morally correct.

Negative Character: Abigail

The character Abigail invokes a negative response to her because of her selfish and demanding nature. We know that she is a violent character from the start of the play as when she “[smashes her [betty] across the face]: Shut it! Now shut it!” as she hits Betty for announcing that Abigail had drunken blood. An introduction within the script of Abigail’scharacter states; “a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan, with an endlesscapacity for dissembling. Now she is all worry and apprehension and propriety”and as the Act progresses, she takes command of the other girls who were found dancing and chanting in the forest and threatens them to keep to the story. As character, John Procter enters the play; we realize that they have had a relationship, howeverdue to Procter’s moral ethics, he has asked Abigail to forget about it. Neverthe less, Abigail continues to persuade Procter to come back to her and leavehis wife, who we know she drank blood in order to curse her.

As the adults of the village attempt to accuse Abigail of witchcraft, she, after failed attempts of denying it, reverts the blame to Tituba, who she accuses offorcing her and Betty to perform in the practices in the forest. Tituba then says that it was not she, but she had seen other women who were apparently in alliance with the devil, or witches. Once Tituba begins accusing women, Abigail straight away joins in, claiming to want to open herself, but then accuses Mrs. Procter (John’s wife) and a series of other women of witchcraft. This selfishand lying nature causes the audience to have a dislike to the character of Abigail because of her actions and further reasons behind them.