The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Character Organizer
Cast in order of Appearance – bolded (important); italicized (supporting roles)
Character
Act I
Act II
Act III
Reverend Parris
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Betty Parris
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Where action begins
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Widower, Kneeling
besides bed-mumbling
Villain/sinner
Mid-40s
Easily insulted
Not interested in children
Theocracy – religious
government
Sees girls running naked
through woods and
Tituba in front of the fire
Feels persecuted –
accuses critics of being
devilish
Greedy-argues about
salary
Hypocritical
Aged 10
Rev’s daughter
Lying inert (still) in bed
Sits up and has
conversation – dramatic
irony
Rumors in Salem that she
“flew”
End of Act I: Sakes and
says she saw George
Jacobs with Devil, along
Proctor relates how
Parris insisted on gold
candlesticks (greedy)
Act IV
Tituba
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Abigail Williams
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with Alice Barrow and
Goody Bibber
Slave – worried about
Betty
Parris tells her to get out
From Barbados
Loves and cares for Betty
Parris
Accused of drinking
blood by Abigail – easy
target
Admits Abigail made her
make a charm
Trusts Hale
Confesses to witchcraft
Says the Devil told her to
kill Rev. Parris
Parris’ niece – 17
Beautiful; orphan
Endless ability to
dissemble (lie)
Conniving, deceitful,
manipulative
Says she and girls were
just dancing, nothing else
Claims her name is
“white” or pure in town
Proctor’s servant
Says the kettle in woods
contained soup and a
then a frog jumped in
Blames Tituba makes her
laugh in church, gives
her bad dreams, makes
her drink blood
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Everyone is hanging on
her every word because
she has accused many of
witchcraft
 Has power and authority
in the courtroom
 Saw Mary Warren with
the poppet in the
courtroom and now
Abigail is using this
information to frame
Elizabeth Proctor by
sticking a pin in her own
stomach, knowing that
there was a pin in the
poppet
 She has great authority
in the courtroom and
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Susanna Walcott
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Ann Putnam
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Thomas Putnam
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End of Act I: says she
wants the love of Jesus
and that she saw Sarah
Good, Goody Osburn,
and Bridget Bishop with
the devil (blame helps
her seem innocent)
Dr. Grigg’s assistant –
nervous, hurried
Believes there are
“unnatural causes” for
Betty’s sickness
(bewitching)
Daughter is “bewitched”
Says there is a stroke of
hell on Parris (isn’t
normal that Betty is ill)
Looks older – has seen a
lot of death
Says a villager saw Betty
flying around Salem –
claims Betty can’t bear to
hear the psalm
When Tituba admits she
“saw” Goody Osburn,
Ann says that she was
her midwife when her
babies died
Bad guy – accuses people 
of being witches – wants
more land and money
Signed first complaint
against Rebecca Nurse
Daughter Ruth also is
sick – her eyes are open
Is happy that Parris sent
continues to accuse
people of witchcraft
The Putnams accuse
Rebecca Nurse of
murdering their seven
babies
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Mercy Lewis
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Mary Warren
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for Hale, a specialist in
demonic arts
Holds grudges; has a
vindictive nature
Suggests Tituba get
hanged
Putnam’s servant
Servant of the Proctor’s
Subservient
Skittish
Afraid something is
wrong with Betty and
wants to confess
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John Proctor
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Farmer
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Insists on going to
Salem because she is an
official of the court
Behaves indignantly,
confidently, and proudly
toward her employers,
rather than being meek
and subservient
Accuses Sarah Good of
sending her spirit out in
court to choke her
Proctor tries to beat her,
and she says he had
better speak civilly to
her – she is indignant
and sticks up for herself
She makes the poppet in
court, which is
witnessed by Abigail
and later used to accuse
Elizabeth Proctor.
Doesn’t want to testify
in court – afraid of
Abigail – worries that
Abigail will kill her and
that Abigail will accuse
Proctor of lechery
Has confessed to
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In his 30’s
Can see through
hypocrites in a sharp and
biting way
Powerful body
Even-tempered (calm)
Sinner (adultery)
Respected and feared in
Salem
Arrives at Parris home to
see what is wrong with
Betty
Had affair with Abigail;
regrets his action –
“would rather cut off his
hand than touch her
again”
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Elizabeth – trying to
make amends
Tells Elizabeth not to
judge him
Knows that there is no
witchery involved in
what has happened, but
he is not willing to come
forward and testify
about this
Argues with Mary
Warren about her
assertions that Sarah
Good is a witch
Relates how resentful he
is of Parris – sees him as
greedy and not a real
man of God – Proctor
often doesn’t go to
church and hasn’t had
his 3rd child baptized
Is horrified that
Elizabeth is being
accused of witchcraft
and is being shackled
(chained)
Insists that Mary Warren
testify in court
Feels guilty that his wife
is being accused of
witchcraft, and he is the
sinner – “My wife will
never die for me! I will
bring your guts into
your mouth but that
goodness will not die for
me!” (80)
Rebecca Nurse
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Giles Corey
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Had excellent character – 
the only reason she is
accused of being a witch
is because the accusers
want land/money
Says the girls’ behavior
will get old – they will
recover with time
72 – uses walking stick,
white-haired, gentle
Wife of Francis Nurse,
an arbiter in disputes
(fair, honest)
Husband has a great deal
of land – is resented
Neighbors with Putnam
No one would dare
accuse her of witchcraft
since she is wellrespected; accused
because her land is
coveted/desired
Has 11 children and 26
grandchildren-knows
how children behave
Voice of reason
Even Hale, who is from
Beverly, knows of
Rebecca’s good soul
Eighties
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Blamed for everything
Doesn’t care about public
opinion
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Crank and a nuisance
Arrested for witchery murdering Goody
Putnam’s babies
Never thought his wife
was a witch; he was just
asking Hale about the
books
Now, his wife is accused
Rev. John Hale
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Deeply innocent and
brave
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Nearly 40 years of age
Appears young
Intellectual, curious
Studies spiritual world
(witches, demons)
Sees himself as a young
doctor on his first call
Believes he has much
knowledge
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Elizabeth Proctor
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Francis Nurse
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Old
Owns 300 acres – is
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of witchcraft
Challenges Hale –
Corey knows these
accusations are a fraud
Believes in correctness
of the court
Originally is concerned
entirely about justice,
but now he is wavering
a bit – still believes in
justice of the court,
which is very flawed.
He is not questioning
the court and
testimonies like he
should – he’s the expert!
Cold, unforgiving,
suspicious when she
catches her husband in a
lie
Insists that she is not
judging her husband
Trying to please him –
with the rabbit soup
Tells her husband to go
tell the court what he
knows
Says she doesn’t believe
in witchcraft if she is
accused of witchcraft
She behaves nobly when
arrested – concerned
about her children and
her household.
Terribly upset about his
wife being taken
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Ezekial Cheever
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Marshal Herrick
resented for having done
well (also Rebecca)
Fought with Putnam over
land
Official of court – kind
of a warrant officer
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Very rattled
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Arrests Elizabeth
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Arresting officer –
comes to help take
Elizabeth away
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Accused of witchcraft;
she confesses to save
herself
Judge Hawthorne
Deputy Governor
Danforth
Sarah Good
Hopkins
voice of Martha Corey
Bold: Major role
Italic: Supporting role
Regular Font: Minor role