John Proctor, husband of Elizabeth, is a devoted and unwaveringly honest husband and Christian. When an affair derails his marriage and family, he dedicates himself to mending his compromised marriage. His perspective conflicts with that of Reverend Parris, whom Proctor publically criticizes for involving the authorities to investigate the possession of the townspeople.
Proctor disagrees with the Thomas Putnam’s actions and his principles align with those of Giles Corey and Francis Nurse. Ultimately, he chooses to die an honest Christian man instead of living dishonestly.
Elizabeth Proctor is a dedicated wife to John and devoted mother to their three sons. When their marriage becomes strained under the weight of John’s betrayal. Elizabeth becomes one of the tragic victims of the witch trials.
Her character allows readers to fully realise the extremism of Salem's witch trials as a rational characters who was caught up in the hysteria propagated by the church.
Reverend Parris is one the Salem Ministers. He is paranoid that his parishioners will betray him and he will lose his position, leading him to blindly accept the presence of the Devil in Salem. In endeavouring to maintain the support of his benefactor Thomas Putnam, Reverend Parris becomes complicit in the condemnation and questioning of specific townspeople.
Abigail, a beautiful and manipulative 17-year-old girl, engaged in an illicit affair with John Proctor 7 months before the play is set. When meeting with John Proctor at Reverend Parris’s house, she tries to seduce him into resuming their romance, which John Proctor refuses. In a jealous rage, Abigail plots to have Elizabeth convicted as a witch and hanged, believing that this will prompt the widowed John to marry her. Abigail is largely responsible for spreading the fear and rumours that fuel the hysteria that spreads throughout Salem.
Reverend Hale is a sensible man who ultimately demonstrates a strong sense of integrity, denouncing the court and the trials despite his desperation to prove his expertise in witchcraft. Whilst having good intentions, his overwhelming commitment to corrupt biblical becomes problematic.
Summary:
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| John Proctor | A well-respected farmer and central figure in the Salem community |
| Elizabeth Proctor | The loving mother of three boys and devoted wife of John Proctor |
| Reverend Parris | A Salem minister and ringleader of the witch hunt |
| Abigail Williams | Young seductress and ex-mistress of John Proctor |
| Reverend Hale | An expert in witchcraft, who comes to Salem to investigate rumoured sorcery and Satanic possession |
| Giles Corey | An elderly farmer |
| Rebecca Nurse | A respected Christian woman |
| Goody Ballard | One of the women accused of witchcraft |
| Alice Barrow | Accused by Betty Parris of witchcraft |
| Martha Bellows | Accused by Betty Parris of witchcraft |
| Goody Bibber | Accused by Betty Parris of witchcraft |
| Bridget Bishop | A local tavern owner, accused by Abigail Williams of witchcraft |
| Goody Booth | Accused by Abigail Williams of witchcraft |
| Ezekiel Cheever | A court clerk who issues arrest warrants to those accused of witchcraft |
| Martha Corey | Wife of Giles Corey, accused of witchcraft because of her love of reading |
| Deputy Governor Danforth | Head of the tribunal that conducts the witch trials |
| Sarah Good | Accused by Tituba and Abigail Williams of witchcraft |
| Isaiah Goodkind | Is hanged after confessing to witchcraft |
| Doctor Griggs | Suggests that Betty Parris’s stupor is caused by supernatural forces |
| Judge Hathorne | A harsh jurist on the tribunal, showing no mercy to those on trial |
| Goody Hawkins | Accused by Abigail Williams of witchcraft |
| Marshal Herrick | Clerk who serves the arrest warrants to those accused of witchcraft |
| Guard Hopkins | A sentry at the prison |
| Goody Howe | Accused of witchcraft by Betty Parris |
| George Jacobs | Accused of witchcraft by Betty Parris |
| Mercy Lewis | Servant to the Putnams, friend of Abigail Williams |
| Francis Nurse | Husband to Rebecca and a respected man in Salem |
| Samuel Nurse | Son of Francis and Rebecca Nurse, becomes caretaker of John and Elizabeth Proctor’s children |
| Goody Osburn | Accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams |
| Betty Parris | Daughter of Reverend Parris – caught dancing in the woods |
| Thomas Putnam | Deliberately spreads the fear of witchcraft, in order to confiscate the land of convicted men |
| Ann Putnam | Wife of Thomas Putnam – lost 7 children in infancy |
| Ruth Putnam | Daughter of Thomas and Ann Putnam – caught dancing in the woods |
| Judge Sewall | A jurist at the Salem witch trials |
| Goody Sibber | Accused of witch craft by Abigail Williams |
| Judge Stoughton | A jurist at the Salem witch trials |
| Tituba | Reverend Parris’s slave from Barbados – admits to practicing witchcraft |
| Susanna Walcott | Messenger of Doctor Griggs |
| Isaac Ward | Hanged for practicing witchcraft |
| Mary Warren | Proctors’ servant |