it in such a way, to the judges themselves.  Then his stingy call for following correct protocol in the courts is amusing, saying that they can't arrest him for "contempt of a hearing"; they needed to be in full session to arrest him.  This witty observation, and his bravery in the face of being arrested by Danforth's orders, are funny and brave all at the same time.  The mood turns serious as he is hauled away however, and later, he plays a much more grave role in the proceedings.  But up through act three, Corey is a rather comical figure, uttering things we think but don't say, and often getting away with it, until the end, because of his likable character and old age.

All in all, Corey lightens the mood with his gruff commentary and whimsical habits and notions; because of this, he is definitely the best candidate for a comic relief figure to the play.  I hope that helped; good luck!

Giles Corey is one person who doesn't care much about public opinion. He also didn't go to church much until he was an old man. On the outside, he seems tough and a nuisance, but he is actually honest and cares deeply about the truth. He is also the one character who defies the town and never confesses to witchcraft so that his sons can inherit his property. Despite the fact that he was tortured by having heavy stones placed on him, he refused to confess because doing so would have meant the state could take his property. He held out against the torture and his last words were "more weight". Thus, he could not be hanged nor convicted of witchcraft and his family's property was saved.

Giles Corey also demonstrates that John Proctor is not the lone voice of dissent in Salem. When Proctor goes to court to press Mary Warren to confess, he does not go alone. Corey is also present and is brave enough to speak his mind before the court authorities, knowing the risk he is taking.

Giles Corey is one of my favorite characters in this play.  Time and again, when challenged or confronted, even by authority, he refuses to back down, defiantly standing his ground even unto his death.  His confrontations with Mr. Putnam, his admission to arguing repeatedly in court for damages, and his death scene all point to this consistent defiance on his part, and makes him a fun and likable character.

The previous post is entirely accurate.  I would like to take Corey's role to a political application.  In my mind, Corey operates as the pervasive and shrill voice of dissent.  Corey's penchant for straight talk and expressing dissent with what is happening is typical of the voices that clamor against the norm in a liberally democratic setting.  Corey is living proof of Mill's idea of the "tyranny of the majority."  Corey represents that voice in the political discourse that might be discarded and dismissed as a "crank," but one that is vital because it represents a check against the majority which might not be acting in the public's interest.  I tend to think of Corey as what Ralph Nader used to represent in terms of his fight against big business and what the late Howard Zinn represents to consensus historians.  Like them, Corey will not hold his tongue when he sees wrong being practiced.  Poltiical orders that preach openness in discussion need the Giles Coreys to be able to keep these structures honest and transparent in their dealings with the public. When Corey cries, "More weight," it is a symbolic statement that no matter what is done, his voice will not be silenced, his narrative will not be ignored, and his experience cannot be erased.  In this light, Corey's role in the play and in a democratic setting is powerfully vital.  This acquires even more significance when cast amidst the historical backdrop of the HUAC hearings.  When people "named names," Miller and others like him were the Giles Coreys of their day demanding that McCarthy and those along with him apologize for what they are doing in the name of democracy.

One role that Giles plays is that of the comic relief.  I don't know if you have noticed, but The Crucible is a pretty heavy, dark, serious and depressing play.  There isn't much lightness or humor.  However, Giles, with his sarcastic and rather caustic "grumpy old man" demeanor, adds a bit of comedy and laughter.  He says funny things ("A fart on Thomas Putnam, that is what I say to that!"), has a quirky perspective on things (thinking his wife is casting spells because she reads books that "stop his prayers"), sues people for trivial reasons, imagines himself an expert in the law, and has a feisty temper that is amusing.  All of these elements add a light-hearted comedic relief to an otherwise very serious play.

Another role that Coery plays is that of an unlikely hero.  He displays amazing integrity in the courtroom by not revealing a witness' name, and is arrested for it.  He could have just told the name, but kept quiet and went to jail in the witness' place.  Then, he died rather than reveal the man's name.  That is a heroic, brave, and somewhat surprising thing for him to have done.  He died displaying his characteristic sense of humor, by saying "More weight" to the men stacking rocks on him.  So, he plays the role of unexpected hero; it's impossible not to admire him for his integrity.

One last role that Corey plays is a tool for Miller to reveal some of the more insidious intentions of the Putnam family.  Corey presents information that Thomas Putnam "is killing his neighbors for their land" by prompting his daughter to accuse his neighbors of being witches so that they will be arrested, and he can buy up their forfeited land.  This juicy bit of information reveals the Putnams as bloodthirsty connivers willing to kill neighbors to get more acres.  Corey presents that information, and protects the man who gave it to him.

I hope those thoughts helped; good luck!

Giles Corey is also used by the author to illustrate the level of hysteria that grips Salem in 1692.  When Reverend Hale comes to town, Corey, who is on his third wife, Martha, and is not very educated, is concerned that his wife reads books.  Of course Giles cannot read the way his wife does, so he is suspicious because his other two wives did not read like Martha.

Corey asks Reverend Hale a simple question that is misinterpreted.  He tells Hale that he cannot pray when his wife is reading her books, once she puts her books down, he can pray again. Hale becomes suspicious of Martha Corey who is arrested for witchcraft.  

Corey is used to show how a simple truth is perverted by the authorities in Salem and used as a weapon to put innocent people in jail and eventually executed.

First of all, Giles is a true historical figure, and Arthur Miller chose people who actually existed to be in his play, since it is based in history.  Although he changed many of the details about the characters and added some situations to create dramatic tension, the characters themselves, in one form or another, actually existed.  Corey is one of those.  So that is one reason he was introduced into the play.

Another reason is that he is a rather unique case; he wasn't hanged like many others.  Instead, he was pressed to death with rocks, for not giving the name of the man who said Putnam was "murdering his neighbors for land."  In reality, he was pressed to death for not entering a plea of guilty or not guilty to the charge of witchcraft (not entering a plea kept him from being officially charged.  If charged, the state took his lands away, and he wasn't going to give up his land, which would take it from his children.)  Because he met such a unique fate, it is an interesting storyline to have in the play.

Lastly, Miller makes him sort of a comic hero.  His wry sarcasm, bluntness, and lovable "grumpy old man" character brings comic relief to the play.  This play is so heavy that a lightening of the mood here and there is greatly appreciated.  And in the end, he ends up being a fearsome example of integrity, heroically dying to protect a man's life.

Giles Corey does not function solely as comic relief in The Crucible though he does present some of the few funny moments in the play. Functionally, Corey serves to contextualize John Proctor's position in the community and his position on the witch trials.

Corey is more extremely independent than any other character in the play. He does not care what others in Salem think of him and he does not feel beholden to the norms of the community. That is why he is willing to sue so readily when he is crossed.

He didn' t give a hoot for public opinion, and only in his last years did he bother much with the church.

In these ways he is more extreme and more independent than John Proctor. Without the presence of Corey in the play, we might think that Proctor is a fringe character making extreme choices. The judges and Reverend Hale certainly articulate an opinion that Proctor is rather extreme in his independence because he planted on a Sunday and did not baptize one of his children.

However, as we see from Corey, there are people who go much further in their disregard for the constraints of the community norms. Corey can be said then to represent the dissenters and those outside the pale of the rigidly defined, value-driven community of Salem.

Here are several roles that Giles Corey serves in The Crucible.

1. He represents the inhabitants of Salem who unwittingly bring harm to their family or neighbors (unlike the Putnams or Abigail who knowingly accuse their enemies or opponents).  Example: When Rev. Hale first arrives in town, Giles thinks nothing of talking to Hale about his wife's "reading strange books" or his inability to pray around his wife sometimes.  Giles does not tell Hale this information to accuse his wife, he is simply curious and fascinated with the "expert" who as newly come to Salem.  Giles's situation is not exclusive.  Other characters in the play unknowingly help the court falsely arrest members of the Salem community (Mary Warren makes the poppet for Elizabeth, not knowing that Abigail will use it against Elizabeth. Rev. Hale's questioning of the Proctors helps lead to Elizabeth's arrest, when he most likely wanted to establish that she and John were "good people.").

2. Giles represents a loyal friend and husband.  Example: Even though Giles innocently makes suspect comments about his wife, when she is arrested, he does everything in his power to free her and their friends and neighbors.  He is so loyal to whoever his informant was (the person who told him that Mr. Putnam was making his daughter accuse specific people so that he could easily get their land) that he goes to his death with that person's name because he knows that the court or Putnam will go after the informant if he snitches.  In reality, Giles Corey is pressed to death because he will not give up the name, but in doing so, he ensures that his children get his land because he was not accused of neither did he confess to witchcraft which would have blackened his name permanently.

3.  Finally, I think that the most important role that Giles Corey plays is that of a common man demonstrating more common sense than the "learned," all-powerful judges.  Example: Giles naively talks about how many times he has been in court, but even Judge Danforth cannot deny the logic behind some of Giles's arguments.  Giles is similar to John Proctor in this aspect.  While Proctor's character represents that an "imperfect" soul still has the right and sense to cry out against moral injustice, Corey's character illustrates the fact that a high education and obssession for power cannot silence the tenacity of a sensible person who speaks the truth. In the end, Corey establishes the legacy of a strong-willed, simple but honorable man, while the audience views Judge Danforth deservedly as a villain.