The Rankings are in: The Most Flawed Characters in The Crucible

The characters in The Crucible are notoriously flawed, but the question is, who is the most flawed?  Dictionary.com defines flaw as “a feature that mars the perfection of something...”  This being said, my own interpretation is who has caused the most to harm internally or externally considering their situation.  Now, let the rankings begin.

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The “least flawed” person is Mary Warren.  Although she was involved in the crucial decision of Abigail’s guilt and caved under pressure, I believe she was the product of her environment.  She was drawn in because she was trying to fit in, as most teenagers strive to do.  According to the text, Mary Warren was elated when she became recognized by the court and remarked to Proctor, “...I will be gone every day now. I am amazed you do not see what weighty work we do.”  This shows how she values herself based on her popularity.  Although this is a flaw, it is a minor one.

Reverend Hale’s character began as a megalomaniac obsessed with being right.  This is seen when he entered Parris’s house, to examine Betty, carrying large books.  When Parris acknowledged their weight, Hale slyly said, “They must be; they are weighted with authority.”  Despite this flaw, he slowly begins to change throughout the play.  He is the lone authoritative figure that acknowledges Proctor’s testimony as truth.  After Proctor is accused by Mary Warren and arrested, Hale said, “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!”  This shows he has changed, albeit too late.

John Proctor is ranked fifth.  He disgraced his wife by cheating with their 17-year-old servant.  Also, Elizabeth does not trust him.  This being said, he tried to make amends with his wife.  When he came home from farming, he was harshly questioned by Elizabeth.  He tries to go on a walk with her in order to lighten the mood.  Also, he sacrifices his own reputation in order to save Elizabeth when she was accused.  When pleading with Danforth to acknowledge Abigail’s false accusations, he said, “I have known her, sir.”  This shows how he is admitting to lechery and trying to become a better person.

Mr. Putnam scores directly in the middle of the ranking.  He helped facilitate the discussion of witchcraft when Betty and Ruth were first pretending.  He threatened Parris and said, “There is a murdering witch among us… Let your enemies make of it what they will...”  This quote does three things: it makes Parris worried about his reputation, consider if Betty is actually witched, and sets up Putnam to get back at those who wronged him in the past.  He works behind the scenes with Ruth to facilitate the girls’ accusations, with the goal to get more land.  The only reason he is not ranked higher is because his extent of damage is relatively unknown as he was a sneaky character.

Reverend Parris comes in “third most flawed.”  His reputation drives his actions.  Initially, Abigail told him multiple times that Betty was just scared and they did not participate in witchcraft.  However, he kept pushing the issue because he was worried how this would affect his reputation.  This led to him calling Hale, who said that Betty was bewitched.  Also, during the trials, Parris was seen interjecting that John Proctor’s and Mary’s testimonies were false because they were “slanderous.”  This is seen when he said, “Excellency, since I come to Salem this man is blackening my name.”  This shows Parris’s utmost concern for himself.

Judge Danforth is downright evil.  The power he holds over people is the driving force for his actions.  When Francis Nurse questions Judge Danforth and tells him that the girls are deceiving him, Danforth replies, “And do you know that near four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn… And seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature?”  This shows how proud he is of himself and how he is unwilling to change his decisions, as it would undermine his reputation.  The only reason that he is not the most heinous person on this list is the fact that he was fed lies over and over again, so it might have been difficult to filter out the truth.  However, it was his responsibility to make logical and fair decisions because he was the judge.  He did not act with any of the qualities a judge is supposed to have.

Abigail is the most flawed character.  She is willing to lie, no matter the situation or consequence, in order to take the blame off herself and get what she wants.  At the beginning of the play, after Tituba admitted to witchcraft based on Abby’s accusation, Abigail willingly opened up to Reverend Hale that she dealt with the Devil and claimed she saw more with the Devil.  These lies were echoed by her band of girls after she threatened to kill them if they turned against her.  This shows her ruthlessness.  Also, even after the Proctors had dismissed Abigail many months prior, she still pursued John Proctor.  Once he was no longer on her side, she decided to go against him in order to have her lies continued.  This can be seen when Judge Danforth was asking about the testimonials from Proctor and Mary.  She said, “I have naught to change, sir. She lies.”  Every action Abigail takes harms the community or one person, thus making her the most flawed.