The main characters in the novel are:
-John Proctor: a local farmer and husband of Elizabeth Proctor. He is accused of witchcraft and is ultimately hanged for his supposed crimes.
-Elizabeth Proctor: John's wife. She is accused of being a witch but is later cleared of all charges.
-Abigail Williams: John Proctor's former lover who accusing him and Elizabeth of witchcraft out of spite.
-Reverend Parris: the minister of Salem Village who first discovers that there may be witches in the community after his daughter, Betty, falls ill.
-Betty Parris: Reverend Parris' daughter who falls ill at the beginning of the novel and is one of the first accusers of witchcraft.