John Proctor: In *The Crucible*, John Proctor is a farmer and one of the few people in Salem who stands up to the witch trials. In the real Salem witch trials, there was no one named John Proctor who played a significant role. However, there was a man named John Proctor who was accused of witchcraft and executed in 1692.
Elizabeth Proctor: In *The Crucible*, Elizabeth Proctor is John Proctor's wife and a strong, loyal woman. In the real Salem witch trials, there was a woman named Elizabeth Proctor who was accused of witchcraft and executed in 1692.
Mary Warren: In *The Crucible*, Mary Warren is Abigail's friend and one of the young women who accuses people of witchcraft. In the real Salem witch trials, there was a girl named Mary Warren who was one of the accusers. However, she later recanted her testimony and said that she had been coerced into making her accusations.
Giles Corey: In *The Crucible*, Giles Corey is an elderly farmer who is accused of witchcraft and refuses to enter a plea, leading to his death by pressing. In the real Salem witch trials, there was a man named Giles Corey who was also accused of witchcraft. He also refused to enter a plea, and he died by pressing in 1692.
Rebecca Nurse: In *The Crucible*, Rebecca Nurse is a kind, elderly woman who is accused of witchcraft. In the real Salem witch trials, there was a woman named Rebecca Nurse who was also accused of witchcraft. She was executed in 1692, but her conviction was later overturned.
Thomas Putnam: In *The Crucible*, Thomas Putnam is a wealthy farmer and one of the main instigators of the witch trials. In the real Salem witch trials, there was a man named Thomas Putnam who was one of the main accusers. He had a reputation for being greedy and power-hungry, and it is believed that he used the witch trials to gain land and power.
Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott: In *The Crucible*, these are three young girls who are among Abigail's earliest accusers. They claim to have been "afflicted" by the accused witches. In the real trials, there were several girls who made similar accusations, including some named Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott.
_The Crucible_ differs significantly from the Salem witch trials in several ways as well:
Motivation: In *The Crucible*, the characters are driven by vengeance, fear, and superstition. In the real trials, economic and political motivations were also significant.
Scale and Scope: *The Crucible* focuses on the events in Salem, while the real trials affected several communities in Massachusetts.
Narrative Liberty: *The Crucible* is a work of fiction, and its characters and plot are not entirely historically accurate. Characters in the play sometimes represent composites of real individuals.
Impact: *The Crucible* had a profound impact on literature while the Salem witch trials had far-reaching consequences for society, justice, and religious freedom in the American colonial era.