The Crucible (1953), written by Arthur Miller, is a dramatic work that refers to the events that took place in the Salem witch trials which took place in the colony of Massachusetts Bay during 1692-93. In the Puritan town of Salem, a group of girls went dancing in the forest with a black slave named Tituba. While dancing, they are captured by the local minister, Reverend Parris. One of the girls, Parris' daughter Betty, falls into a coma-like state. A crowd gathers at the Parris home as rumors of witchcraft fill the town, causing a series of accusations to spread. Miller uses a number of conventions such as characterization and dialogue to emphasize the relationships present throughout the novel and position the audience to respond to them in a way that they can relate to in their personal lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Trust is often seen as the foundation of a healthy relationship. In The Crucible aspects of trust are revealed on numerous occasions, most specifically through the characterization of John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth. For the most part, the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor is strong and loving. But their marriage was put to the test by John's affair with Abigail. Although Elizabeth's trust towards Proctor has clearly diminished, she does not use this against him and instead appears to be rather forgiving, as shown through her dialogue: “I don't judge you. In your heart sits the magistrate who judges you. I never thought you were a good man, John, just a little disconcerted." This characterizes Elizabeth indulgently and highlights the unconditional love she has for her husband. This is only made clearer later in the show, when she does everything she can to protect her reputation. Elizabeth is forced midway through Act 3 to testify in court about her husband's involvement with Abigail and when questioned about John's character states: “Your Honor, I – around that time. I was sick. And I... my husband is a good and upright man. He is never drunk like some, nor wastes time with the shovelboard, but always at work in my illness... you see, sir, I have been ill for a long time after my last child, and I seemed to see my husband turn away from me a little." Relationship and marriage expert Sheri Stritof said in a recent article “How to Practice Forgiveness in Marriage” that “being able to forgive and let go of past hurts is a critical tool in marriage. Additionally, being able to forgive is a way to stay healthy both emotionally and physically.” This philosophy is clearly shown in Elizabeth's actions as she is able to forgive him for his previous mistakes and only says positive things about him in court in an attempt to save his reputation. The construction of the relationship between John and Elizabeth Proctor positions me to relate to relationships in my life that hold similar values. For example, being forgiven by my friends and family after I may have done something that upset them or having the strength to forgive someone who may have hurt me. Through the characterization of Elizabeth Proctor and her relationship with John, I am forced to respond to this in a way of reflection and personal relationship. The tension in the relationship between Rebecca Nurse and Ann Putnam is highlighted through aspects of construction in the play. By highlighting Goody Putnam's internal conflict through her characterization and juxtaposing it with Rebecca's rather contrasting situation, the clash between the twobecomes very obvious. Perhaps the clearest example in the play is found in Act 1, when he talks about Betty, a girl who is supposed to be sick with witchcraft: “I have eleven children, and I am twenty-six times a grandmother, and I have seen them all.” through their stupidityseasons, and when it comes upon them they will run away with the bowlegged Devil keeping up with their misdeeds. I think he'll wake up when he gets tired." This statement hurts Goody Putnam since almost all of her children are dead. Rebecca's acclamation of her large family of children and grandchildren causes Ann to respond spitefully and perhaps out of jealousy , Goody Putnam assumes that Rebecca may be responsible for the death of her children. This example shows how jealousy can lead people to make irrational judgments and can be the downfall of a relationship. Suzanne Degges-White is a professor and chair of the counseling department and higher education at Northern Illinois University and in his article “How Jealousy Can Poison a Friendship” stated that “Jealousy can be a complex and painful emotion self-esteem.' This relates to the relationship between Rebecca Nurse and Ann Putnam as Putnam's internal conflict over her children's deaths leads her to feel a sense of jealousy when Rebecca comments on Ann's jealousy stemming from her "inner insecurity". leads to creating a rumor about Rebecca to humiliate her, leaving a large gap in their relationship. Through these examples throughout the play Putnam is described as a jealous, insecure and even mean person, however I believe this relationship is completely misunderstood. built through the characterization of Goody Putnam, makes me respond emphatically towards her and the unfortunate history she has lived in. I believe that Putnam only acts this way because she is still grieving and doesn't know how to control her emotions forced to respond in a disappointed manner because, although she has had a difficult past, she shouldn't use it as an excuse to tear down the people around her because of her jealousy. Through the characterization of Rebecca Nurse and Ann Putnam and the juxtaposition of the two's different situations, elements of their bitter relationship come to light, causing me to respond with a mixture of empathy and disappointment. The relationship between the Proctors and Mary Warren is a rather strange one, as shown through Mary Warren's characterization and dialogue throughout the play. The relationship between Proctor and Mary Warren is, first and foremost, one of service; that is, Mary is a maid at the Proctor house. She is initially characterized as a rather shy girl and appears to be a faithful servant to John and Elizabeth, however this appearance is revealed when Mary testifies in court and turns against John. He says: “He comes to me at night and every day to sign, to sign, to - … My name, he wants my name. “I will kill you,” he says, “if my wife is hanged!” We must go and overthrow the court,' he says!... He wakes me up every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw at my neck, and I sign, I sign...” This is said when Mary realizes that Abigail and the other girls will persist with their accusations against her in court, and therefore, out of fear of these girls, she is forced to turn against John. Mary Warren's decision to turn against John perhaps highlights that their relationship is not quite what it seemed to be from the beginning of the play. Through Mary's actions in court and her dialogue, aspects of her character that were not present before were made clear, such as disloyalty and dishonesty, thus making me question the strength of her relationship with John. In an article written by William Anderson 'The.