Crucible In Detail Essay, Research Paper

A crucible, as defined by the Merriam-Webester Concise Electronic Dictionary, is

?the state or fact of being tested (as by suffering)?, which attests to what

Elizabeth Proctor is going through exactly. Elizabeth has quite a crucible to

struggle through. The infidelity of her husband is a major element in her being.

Her struggle includes staying true to both her husband and her God. Another is

the persecution by Abigail Warren, a former employee and assistant. Elizabeth

also has to suffer through the decision to reveal the unfaithfulness of John or

to remain strong in her love of him. All of this is too much for Elizabeth and

the burden is very heavy. Elizabeth?s husband, John, is a religious man. He

believes in God, but not the minister who preaches His word. John?s actions,

though, are not so religious and devoid of sin. Abby, a young seductress, was

able to gain his attention while Elizabeth was bedridden. A fiery and passionate

affair scared his relationship with his wife. Elizabeth struggles with his

infidelity. When Reverend Hale questions the couple on the commandments, it is

evident that there is still a void between her and John. All commandments could

be recited except for adultery. In the puritan culture, adultery is a grievous

sin, one punishable by death. She has to live through each day knowing that John

was unfaithful, and that he did not fulfill the commitment of marriage. She

feels hurt and betrayed, but what Abby tries next is the most underhanded trick

possible. Abigail was placed in power due to her ?ability? to spot the devil

in people. She could see those who trafficked with the devil and who was in his

book. This was an opportunity to settle the score for her. Goody Proctor had

discharged Abby from her home, and now was Abby?s chance to get back at

Elizabeth.. All she needed was an opportunity. Following the idea of spirits

leaving the body of a host, she stabbed herself with a needle, and blamed it on

Elizabeth?s familiar spirit. Elizabeth had to fight the accusations and the

suspicions about her and her bad intentions. She was backed in a corner and

there was nowhere to go. If she confessed to being a witch, she would spend her

days in jail, and her name would be forever tarnished. If she did not confess at

all, she would be hanged for being a witch. It was trying not only on her, but

on her faith. Another factor, though, would impact her emotional problems. In an

attempt to prove that Abby was just condemning people out of vengeance, John

Proctor asked the court to allow Elizabeth to reveal the real reason that Abby

was discharged from their home. His favor was granted, with the understanding

that neither John nor Abby could face or gesture to Elizabeth. She was asked why

she discharged Abby, and then if she believed that there was an affair between

John and Abby. She denied an affair, and in that way condemned John as a liar

and as one trying to overthrow the court. He was arrested and was indicted in

the matter of trafficking with the devil. Throughout the time that the Salem

trials took place, John believed that they were a farce. Now, with Elizabeth

present, he was given a choice. He could sign a confession and indict other

people. He asked Elizabeth if she wanted him to live, and she said yes. He made

the decision to not confess, though, and she had the choice of stopping him. She

could if she wanted to, but she made the decision to let John be at peace with

God. She allowed him to leave without confessing, and he was hanged. The

Crucible was not just about one town experiencing a trial that would forever

change it. It was about individual people experiencing events that would destroy

lives, reputations, and families. Elizabeth was one of those individuals who

would go through the hardest trials and tribulations. She had three crucibles to

bear, each of equal strength. Standing by her husband, who was unfaithful, was

the first in the chain. Being attacked by the girl that caused her husband to be

unfaithful was the second, and deciding to let her husband be at peace or to be

with her was the third. She was faced with three hard decisions that would

change everything that she knew. The Crucible used these characters to amplify

the inner lives of those caught up in a hunt for the unseen, and to show that

there was more than one conflict involved. Elizabeth showed strength through her

trials, and defined the meaning of crucible.

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