Hester Prynne and Abigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Miller :: Essay on The Crucible

American literature often examines people and motives. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, and in Aruthur Miller’s modern dramatic masterpiece, The Crucible, people and motives often depict patters of Puritans struggling for life during a shaky time. Two main characters from both pieces of works share the traits of a struggling Puritan as adulators. Even tough Hester and Abigail have similar traits, their sins differ dramatically and were punished differently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hester Prynne is a woman in Boston who is strong of her will. For example she had a daughter and refused to give out her father’s name. She says, “…my child must seek a heavenly father and shall never know an earthly one'; (Hawthorne 64). She is a very truthful woman except for one time. A good example would be when she has to lie to her daughter, Pearl, about the letter she wears on her chest. She claims she wears it “for the sake of its gold thread'; (166). Hester is also an adulator who is punished by the village. Abigail Williams is a teenager who is a great liar. She manages to pull off a big witch-hunt with skills probably as great as an actor does. She is also the niece of the town minister, Reverend Samuel Paris.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both these women do know the feelings of being an adulator though. Even though Hester’s affair is known publicly. Hester fell in love with the minister Aruthur Dimmesdale. They are very much in love but then she gives birth to his child and is ridiculed by the public. Abigail believes she is in love with a farmer named John Proctor. She wants his wife dead. A good example is when John Proctor says “…she thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave…';(Miller 102), which obviously means she wants Goody Proctor erased. Both women meet their loved ones in secret until their loved ones died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adultery was a significant part in these women’s lives. As any reader can see, even people with the same traits have many different faults. Such as their ability to speak the truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though both women are adulators, Hester is a truthful woman who never lies. She only lies one time to her daughter when approached by the question of what the scarlet letter stands for. Hester also never lies when approached by ministers to confess whom the accomplice were. She just says, “I will not speak'; (Hawthorne 64).