Performing Paranoia, Repression, and Hysteria.
Click a character to reveal their acting profile and power dynamics.
Click a node on the web to view acting notes, vocal skills, and physical journeys.
Status: Respected Farmer | Theme: Guilt & Integrity
Proctor is the tragic hero. He is a strong, grounded, practical man torn apart by the guilt of his affair with Abigail. He hates hypocrisy but knows he is a hypocrite himself.
Pace/Pitch: Generally slow, deep, and measured. However, when pushed, his volume explodes into a booming roar that dominates the stage.
Posture: Heavily grounded. He stands with his feet apart, firmly planted.
Gestures: Large, forceful movements. He physically rips warrants and tears his confession.
Status: Orphan / Accuser | Theme: Manipulation & Vengeance
Abigail is a master manipulator. She uses the repressive Puritan society to her advantage, twisting the witch hunt to gain power and eliminate Elizabeth Proctor.
Versatility: She shifts instantly from a sweet, innocent, breathy tone with Danforth to a harsh, sharp, spitting venom when threatening the girls.
Proxemics: She constantly invades personal space. She grabs the other girls violently. With Proctor, she uses flirtatious, lingering physical touch that makes him uncomfortable.
Status: Respectable Wife | Theme: Coldness & Forgiveness
Elizabeth is deeply wounded by John's affair. She struggles to forgive him, maintaining a "cold" household, but ultimately sacrifices her own soul by lying to save his life in court.
Tone: Clipped, quiet, and overly careful. She pauses frequently, thinking before she speaks to hide her deep emotional pain.
Posture: Exceptionally rigid spine. She physically recoils or steps back when John tries to kiss or touch her in Act 2, maintaining a wide physical distance (proxemics).
Status: Supreme Authority | Theme: Theocracy & Blind Justice
Danforth believes he is doing God's exact work. He cannot show weakness or admit the court was wrong, even when the evidence proves the girls are lying.
Projection: Flawless articulation and booming volume. He speaks with absolute certainty. He cuts people off and never allows himself to be interrupted.
Status: He sits or stands on a raised level (rostrum) to literally look down on the accused. His movements are sharp, economical, and commanding (e.g., pointing a finger).
Status: Expert turned Outcast | Theme: Broken Faith
Hale undergoes a massive transformation. He arrives as a confident intellectual expert on witchcraft, but the injustice of the trials completely breaks his faith in the court.
Act 1: Fast-paced, eager, academic tone.
Act 4: Voice is hoarse, pleading, and frantic as he begs prisoners to falsely confess to save their lives.
Act 1: Walks with purpose, burdened only by heavy books.
Act 4: Physically destroyed. Shoulders slumped, hands shaking, weeping openly (breaking Puritan rules of composure).