‘The Crucible’ written by Arthur Miller is a play which contains a relationship between a male and female character that changes throughout the course of the play. This relationship would be the relationship of John and Elizabeth Procter. This relationship changes from being hostile and awkward at the start and changes to a loving and caring one by the end of the play. This illuminates the central idea in the play of forgiveness.
The Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials where a group of girls goes dancing within the forest. While the girls are dancing in the forest they were caught by Reverend Parris. Parris’s daughter Betty, who was amongst the group in the forest, falls into a coma-like state. Parris questions Abigail Williams - the girl’s ringleader and Parris’s niece – about the events that took place in the forest, she admits to doing nothing other than dancing. Parris sends for Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, after jumping to the conclusion that witchcraft caused Betty’s state. When Betty wakes up she and the other girls shout out names of townsfolk that they claimed to have seen with the devil. Mary Warren returns from Salem with news that Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft but the court did not pursue the accusation. Soon later Elizabeth gets taken by the officers of the court. Procter urges Mary to go to the court and confess that everything is a pretend. Mary confesses to the court that the girls are lying, the girls are brought in and they turn the tables by accusing Mary of bewitching them. Procter gets furious and confesses to his affair with Abigail and accuses her of being motivated by being jealous of his wife. Procter’s wife was brought in to test his claim, she denies it. Abigail and the other girls continue to pretend that Mary is bewitching them, and Mary breaks down and starts to accuse Procter of being a witch. Procter gets arrested after out-breaking in rage against the court and