'The Crucible' Character Study: Rebecca Nurse

If there is one character in "The Crucible" that everyone can love and sympathize with, it is Rebecca Nurse. She could be anyone's grandmother, the woman you would never speak foul of or intend to hurt in any way. And yet, in Arthur Miller's tragic play, sweet Rebecca Nurse is one of the last victims of the Salem Witch Trials.

Nurse's unfortunate end coincides with the curtain that closes this play, even though we never see it happen. The scene in which she and John Proctor head to the gallows is heartbreaking. It is the punctuation mark on Miller's commentary on 'witch hunts' whether they be in 1690s Salem or the 1960s round up of alleged communists in America which prompted his writing this play.

Rebecca Nurse puts a face to the accusations and it is one that you cannot ignore. Can you imagine your grandmother being called out as a witch or a communist? If John Proctor is the tragic hero, Rebecca Nurse is the tragic victim of "The Crucible."

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'Crucible' Character Study: Elizabeth Proctor

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Who is Rebecca Nurse?

She is the saintly character of the play. Whereas John Proctor has many flaws, Rebecca seems angelic. She is a nurturing soul, as seen when she tries to comfort the sick and the fearful in Act One. She is a grandmother who exhibits compassion throughout the play.

• Wife of Francis Nurse.
• A sensible and pious older woman held in the highest regard in Salem.
• Self-confident and compassionate and as the last act demonstrates, the humblest of all the characters.

The Humble Rebecca Nurse

When convicted of witchcraft, Rebecca Nurse refuses to bear false witness against herself and others. She would rather hang than lie. She comforts John Proctor as they are both led to the gallows. “Let you fear nothing! Another judgment waits us all!”

Nurse also utters one of the more subtle and realistic lines of the play. As the prisoners are led to the gallows, Rebecca stumbles. This provides a dramatically tender moment when John Proctor catches her and helps her to her feet. She is a bit embarrassed and says, “I’ve had no breakfast.” This line is so unlike any of the turbulent speeches of the male characters, or the vehement replies of the younger female characters.

Rebecca Nurse has much she could complain about. Anyone else in her situation would be consumed with fear, sorrow, confusion, and rage against the evils of society. Yet, Rebecca Nurse merely blames her faltering on a lack of breakfast.

Even at the brink of execution, she exhibits not a trace of bitterness, but only the sincerest humility. Of all the characters from "The Crucible," Rebecca Nurse is the most benevolent. Her death increases the tragedy of the play.