The Flawed

    I believe that everyone is flawed in different ways. Not physically or by appearance, but a person's reasoning in their actions. Jealousy, for example, is not a flaw. It is a feeling that everyone is able to experience. We have centered the idea of being a ‘good person’ around the things someone does. However, being flawed goes much deeper into someone's personality and overall intentions. 

    Mary Warren is the least flawed character. She was a servant for John and Goody Proctor. Being only 18 at the time, she was a very weak and lonely girl. She had no bad intentions. In act 3, page 119, she says, “No, I love God; I go your way no more. I love God, I bless God.” Here, she is confessing to her wrongdoings and being the honest person she is.

    Mr. Putnam would be the next in ranking. During the witch trials, he accuses the townspeople of witchcraft only to increase his own wealth. He then buys up the people’s land from the ruining of their lives. As he is a very influential person of the town, he is also greedy and selfish. However, the reasoning for this ranking is that he didn’t provide much change during the play. In Act 1, page 15, it explains, “especially since he regarded himself as the intellectual superior of most of the people around him.” While his main intentions may be for money, he did not as much contribute to the overall tragedy in the play.

    The following character would be Judge Danforth. I believe that while he may seem like an awful human, he is just following the rules of the court during that time period. His prosecutions may have been harsh, but that was the way of doing things in Salem; no one knew any better. He was there to do his job, even if it was unfair and unruly.  

    Reverend Parris would be next in ranking. In Act 1, it explains that, “In history he cut a villainous path, and there is very little good to be said for him.” Parris only cares about himself and his reputation. I believe that he is one of the more flawed characters as he puts the blame for the tragedies on other characters, such as Proctor in Act 3. He is also seen blaming Abigail in Act 1 stating, “Abigail, I have Sought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.” This shows that Parris’s intentions are to keep his own reputation good, ignoring what may happen with his niece and daughters. 

    Hale is the next character in line. He was the bombastic exorcist in the play. When he came to Salem, he told all of the people that he was so knowledgeable that he would be able to save the people from witchcraft. This soon became a lie when he realized that the townspeople were already to flawed to fix. He lied to people and just left. In Act 2, page 63, it explains, “Nonsense! Mister, I have myself examined Tituba, Sarah Good, and numerous others that have confessed to dealing with the Devil. They have confessed it.” But by the end of the play, he felt so much guilt in lying to the people and causing the tension in the town, he left.

    Abigail is one of the most flawed characters. While she is still a very young girl, she is an extreme liar and clearly does not learn from her mistakes. At the very beginning of the play, she was seen dancing in the forest and practicing witchcraft with the other girls of the town. When they were caught, she forced the younger girls to act as if they were ‘possessed by the devil’. This lie only got worse throughout the play, ultimately leading to the trials. If she had not been in the forest doing the most flawed act in the town, no of the deaths would’ve happened. Once she finally confesses in the second act to dancing with the devil, she has to put the blame on the other girls as well. She says, “I want to open myself!...I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil...I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” 

    John Proctor is the most flawed character as he is responsible for the tragedy. It is known that Abigail was an extreme liar. Her whole life was centered around John Proctor as he was having an affair with her. Since she was only 17, this left her very confused and angry about their current situation. As John was a very well respected man within the community, it would be very bad for all of the people to find out that he was having an affair with her. He still did not want her to be killed for witchcraft, but he also did not want his name to be killed. In Act 1, it explains, “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart...You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!”