Almost every main character in the Crucible is guilty of some sins or flaws. For example, Parris is guilty of pride and Abigail is guilty of lust. Some characters were guilty of more than just one sin and maintain many flaws as well. I believe Abigail Williams is the most flawed Reverend Hale is the least flawed. The list I believe to be true from least flawed to most flawed is: Hale, Mr. Putnam, Mary, Reverend Parris, John Proctor, Judge Danforth, and Abigail Williams.
Reverend Hale is the least flawed in my opinion because he was doing his job at first, but at the end it turned into him trying to save Proctor and clear his conscience from the tragedy that he had a hand in. While he was interrogating people at first on the witchcraft, he saw the flaws in the trials and had to leave Salem because he couldn't bear to see innocent people hang for something that didn't exist in the town. He then tried to convince prisoners to confess so they would live, not because they were guilty. At the end of act three, Hale says on page 120 "I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court! (He slams the door to the outside behind him.)". This is when Hale leaves because he sees corruption within the court and cannot help it anymore for his own conscience.
Mr. Putnam is the second least flawed on the list. While being a very flawed person carried by greed, he isn't on the level of the people that follow him on the list. Mr. Putnam would set up people in the trials so that he could take their land. On page 96. Giles Corey is pleading his case that Mr. Putnam means to take the land of the people in prison, 'If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the; coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!", this leads to Judge Danforth then asking for proof as he disregards this evidence. Giles Corey refuses to give a name and this ultimately leads to his death by heavy rocks being weighed on his body. The quote shows Putnam's true ambitions and how flawed he really was.
Mary is a different case because she started out doing the right thing, by helping proctor in court and saying it was all a trick, but then she turns on him and blames Proctor for witchcraft and worship of the Devil. On page 118, everyone runs out of the court because they "see Mary Warren as a bird trying to attack them" and while they are outside, Mary Warren switches sides and says "You're the Devil's man". This leads to Proctor's arrest and then him refusing to sign his name, then leading to his death by hanging.
Reverend Parris was very flawed throughout the trials and before. When he found the girls dancing naked and Abigail drinking blood, the first thing he thought of was his reputation. While he comes around in the end, his case isn't the same as Reverend Hale's as he was just doing his job with no background influence. Reverend Parris was involved with the court the whole time, which is why he is so high on my list. He threw around accusations that lead to people's deaths because he wanted to maintain his reputation. On page 16, Parris is speaking to Abigail of what he saw and how this could effect him. "Oh, Abigail, what proper payment for my charity! Now I am undone". He doesn't think of what could happen to Abigail or Betty, but what could happen to himself. This and how he handled the court is why I ranked him so highly.
John Proctor was one of the people in the trials that wanted to reach the truth, but he did it because his wife was imprisoned. Proctor is one of the most flawed individuals because he is one of the causes for the trials, he is an adulterer in a time where religion was everything, and he becomes slightly insane towards the end. He had and intimate relationship with Abigail, which led to her causing the trials to try and kill Elizabeth (his wife) so that she could take her place. He was also married during the intimate relationship. When Mary accused him of devil worship, Proctor let it all out saying "God is Dead". Leading to his arrest and his hanging. On page 22, Abigail and Proctor were discussing their relationship and Proctor is saying that it is over, "I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or did I dream that? Its she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now". This shows Abigail being hurt by his decision, leading to the trials because she wanted to kill Elizabeth, all caused by Proctor's bad decisions.
Judge Danforth and Abigail or on the same level of flawed in my opinion. Judge Danforth disregarded every piece of evidence that went against his ruling. He was too stuck up on pride that he didn't want to believe that witchcraft wasn't real, leading to his decisions of innocent people hanging. On page 91 Danforth shows his true colors and his reasoning of going forward with the trials, "I tell you straight, Mister - I have seen marvels in this court. I have seen people choked before my eyes by spirits; I have seen them stuck by pins and slashed by daggers. I have until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me". Even if Danforth wasn't included in the Crucible until Act Three, he is still one of the people who are the main causes of the tragedy, if not the most responsible.
Abigail is the most flawed character in the tragedy. While Danforth was involved in the trials because he was a judge, Abigail was involved to kill Elizabeth so that she could be with Proctor. She was truly flawed because she was overtaken with lust and bad judgement. While a lot of people had a hand in the tragedy, Abigail was one of the main pieces that were the cause of the whole thing. On page 110, Proctor admits to his relations with Abigail and he says her true reason behind faking all of the witchcraft. "She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, t lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whores vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands, I know you must see it now". Abigail was a main cause in the tragedy all because she wanted to be with Proctor.
