Least flawed to most least flawed character

  

The crucible flawed characters

A Common concept in the crucible includes flaws, which means not perfect or containing mistakes. Each character in the crucible exhibits slight to major flaws. The character from least to most flawed are: Mr.Putnam, Reverend Parris, Reverend Hale, Marry Warren, John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and lastly Judge Danforth.

Mr. Putnam is the least flawed character because he had less power over the tragedy versus the previously mentioned characters. While he is flawed because he uses the witch trials to buy up land, his real flaw is introduced in act one, “...especially since he regarded himself as the intellectual superior of most of the people around him.” We are shown his cockiness and how he thinks he is superior when he is first introduced in the play.  

    Reverend Parris was flawed in the aspect of him worrying about himself and his reputation vicariously through his niece and daughter. This is expressed in act one, “Excellency, you surely cannot think to let so vile a lie be spread in an open court!”’ While most of the characters exhibited personal integrity Parris was more concerned about his public image. He was ashamed and wanted to have his reputation redeemed. He had changed his stories multiple times of what he saw in the woods, in the aspect of what would result in his best interest, representing how he was flawed. 

    Subsequently Reverend Hale is flawed because of how he doubts himself more as the play goes on, once he is stumped on the credibility of the trials being real, he turns from converting people from the devil to begging people to lie in being guilty to save their lives. In act four it states, “I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to counsel Christians they should believe in themselves. There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!” This goes to show how he is unsure of anything and tells Danforth he is going to hang innocent people. He is flawed in the aspect of his quality of occurrence. 

    Mary Warren is flawed in the aspect of her being caught in the middle. She is weak in the idea of her being pulled to both sides due to the fact she knows that Goody Proctor is innocent and resonates with the drama of the girl's lies. This is expressed in act two, “.. But I said I never see any sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one”, which extended to, “I am bound by law, I cannot tell it.” Mary is quick to say she defended Elizabeth in court, but once asked who Elizabeth is accused by, she protects the girls by not giving any names. Mary is flawed due to the fact she knows the girls are lying and there is no witchcraft while knowing the Proctors are innocent.

    While Mr. Proctor is flawed for committing adultery with a child, he is also flawed in the fact of him having too much pride. When he is given the chance to live by falsely pleading guilty, he was to sign a confession that would be posted around town. He explains that his name is too valuable for him to give up. His refusal leads him to his death. This is stated in the final act as, ‘".... How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”’ In him being true and honest with himself cost him his life. While he was okay with ruining his name to lechery to save his wife, he could not go down for the witch trials to save his own life. Resulting in Mr.Proctor being flawed. 

    While Abigail is a child, she is still a very flawed character. Most people would blame her for everything that happened in the play, since she led the girls into lying about the witch trials to get out of trouble. In act one Abigail expresses a “confession” which states, “... I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw ....." Shortly after Abigail witnesses how Tituba's confession is accepted. Abigail uses this as a way to get out of trouble, then gets the rest of the girls on board to proceed with her lies. Once Abigale is portrayed in this way she is immediately flawed in being a liar.

    

Danforth is the most flawed due to the sole fact of him being the one who decided to have innocent people hanged for a crime that they did not commit. The Salm witch trials were all a sham. While most people began to see that, Danforth was so loyal to his original thought, he could not see past the fact of the witch trials being true. In act three Danforth states, “... you have not hurt these people if they are of good conscience. But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.” This statement reveals Danforth’s own misleading belief that he is going forth through the will of God. Danforth’s narrow-mindedness results in the deaths of many innocent people. Exhibiting how Danforth is the most flawed character.