Editor's Choice
In The Crucible, how does Giles Corey's character portray him as both a good man and an idiot?
Quick answer:
Giles Corey in "The Crucible" is portrayed as both a good man and an idiot. His idiocy is evident when he proudly boasts about his legal experience, which actually reveals his cantankerous nature. However, his bravery shines through when he refuses to name his informant, even under threat of death, showing his integrity. Despite his blunder of accusing his wife of witchcraft, Giles ultimately dies a hero, resisting the Salem Witch Trials' hysteria.
Giles seems somewhat idiotic in Act Three when he comes to the court to help save his wife, Martha. When Judge Hathorne asks him what lawyer helped him with his deposition, Giles is only too proud to tell him that he worked on it himself. He says, "I am thirty-three times in court in my life. And always a plaintiff, too." He absolutely brags about his "legal training"—essentially, his incredible litigiousness—without realizing that this makes him look simply cantankerous and finicky rather than anything positive.
However, Giles also seems quite brave when he refuses to give the name of the man who overheard Mr. Putnam claim his daughter had "given him a fair gift of land." He knows, having watched the same thing happen to Mr. Nurse's friends (who signed a document testifying to the good character of his wife and others), that if he gives this man's name to...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
the court, the man—who was only trying to help him—will be arrested and questioned. Giles says, "I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wife's name once and I'll burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute." As a result, Danforth arrests Giles for contempt of court, and, still, Giles will not sacrifice his informant to save himself, which is quite brave.
In The Crucible, Giles Corey is a strange man. Miller describes him as follows:
"knotted with muscle, canny, inquisitive, and still powerful. . . . He didn' t give a hoot for public opinion, and only in his last years did he bother much with the church. He was a crank and a nuisance, but withal a deeply innocent and brave man."
No doubt, Giles is a brave man. He would rather die than confess to being
involved in witchcraft. Giles neither confesses to witchcraft charges nor does
he deny them. He refuses to stand trial, so he is killed by the heavy weight of
stones that press him to death.
He dies bearing the weight of heavy stones. As he is dying, his last words are
"more weight."
While Giles is brave, he is not too bright. Before his death, he confesses that his wife reads strange books. This puts her under condemnation of being involved in witchcraft. After he brings up the fact that his wife has been reading strange books, his wife is accused of witchcraft. Giles realizes his blunder and regrets having brought up the fact that his wife reads strange books. He realizes his wife is innocent and recognizes that his own actions have condemned her. He deeply regrets opening his mouth against his wife.
Although Giles is seen as a comical figure in The Crucible, he dies a serious death. Giles Corey dies as a brave man who tried to get the court to see how ridiculous their accusations were about the people of Salem being guilty of witchcraft involvement:
He turned from a comical hero into a true and honorable one, a man who stood up against hysteria of the infamous Salem Witch Trials.