The Crucible characters

Appears from the start

A Salem farmer whose independence and impatience with hypocrisy put him at odds with Reverend Parris. He once had an affair with Abigail Williams but has ended it and wants no renewal. When the witchcraft accusations spread, his private wrongdoing makes him reluctant to expose Abigail's motive publicly.

Appears from the start

Reverend Parris's seventeen-year-old niece and the former servant of the Proctors. After being discovered dancing in the forest, she denies witchcraft and threatens the other girls into silence. Still attached to John Proctor, she resents Elizabeth and begins redirecting suspicion toward vulnerable people in Salem.

Appears from the start

The minister of Salem and Betty's father. He discovers the girls in the forest and fears that rumors of witchcraft will be used by his opponents to remove him. Anxious about his authority and reputation, he presses for an explanation while guarding details that could damage him.

Appears from the start

Parris's young daughter, who lies unresponsive after her father catches the girls dancing in the forest. Under the pressure of Tituba's confession and Abigail's accusations, she revives and joins in naming townspeople as servants of the Devil.

Appears from the start

An enslaved woman in Parris's household, brought from Barbados. She accompanied the girls into the forest and performed rituals at Abigail's urging. Threatened with violence and promised mercy if she cooperates, she confesses and begins supplying the authorities with names.

Appears from the start

A wealthy Salem landowner with longstanding disputes over property and local influence. The illness of his daughter Ruth and the deaths of his other infant children lead him to embrace supernatural explanations, and he sees the accusations as useful against his enemies.

Also known as Goody Putnam

Appears from the start

Thomas Putnam's wife, grieving the deaths of seven babies and alarmed by the strange condition of her only surviving child. She sent Ruth to Tituba in hope of learning who caused the deaths and readily concludes that supernatural murder explains her losses.

Appears from the start

An elderly woman widely respected for calm judgment, charity, and long experience. She rejects the rush to blame witchcraft for the children's behavior and urges patience, but her moral authority also makes her a target in a divided community.

Appears from the start

An elderly farmer who is argumentative, curious, and often involved in lawsuits. He initially wonders whether his wife's reading has affected his prayers, but soon recognizes the danger of the proceedings and becomes an energetic challenger of the accusers.

Appears from the start

A minister from Beverly invited as a specialist in supposed supernatural affliction. He arrives confident in his learning and authority, but he also intends to follow evidence carefully. His examination of Tituba helps transform neighborhood fears into formal accusations.

Appears from the start

The Proctors' servant and one of the girls found in the forest. Frightened of Abigail but troubled by the arrests, she becomes an officer of the new court and gains an unfamiliar sense of importance from the proceedings.

First appears in chapter 2

John Proctor's wife, still wounded by his affair with Abigail and struggling to restore trust in their marriage. Honest and self-controlled, she recognizes Abigail's hostility and urges John to tell the court that the girls' behavior began as pretense.

First appears in chapter 2

Rebecca's husband, a respected farmer who joins Giles and John Proctor in challenging the arrests. He brings testimony that many neighbors have confidence in the accused women and seeks a fair hearing from the court.

First appears in chapter 3

The deputy governor who presides over the witch trials. Certain that the court acts as an instrument of justice, he treats criticism of its methods as an attack on lawful authority and demands that witnesses choose between complete submission and opposition.

First appears in chapter 3

A magistrate serving the witchcraft court with Danforth. He questions the accused and supports the assumption that invisible attacks can be proven through the girls' behavior.