Character description: Giles Corey

Christina DeSario
Mr. George- AP English
12•13•09
Character Description
Giles Corey
Giles Corey is a hardworking and sweet man, who wants nothing more than the honest truth.
Giles is a funny person. From the moment he is introduced into the story, he brings sarcastic wit into the scene: “I’ve not said a word. No one here can testify I’ve said a word. Is she going to fly again? I hear she flies” (26). Even at the end, while people are killing him to confess, he is still a character that makes the reader smile, and reflect on themselves: “’More weight,’ he says. And died” (135). He is funny and blunt, bragging that, “he knew I’d break his fingers before he’d set his name to it” (32). Giles is honest, and often misunderstood, leading to the execution of his wife when he naively brought up her name during the initial crossfire of accusations. He is feisty and sticks up for himself and his wife when he needs to: “A fart on Thomas Putnam, that is what I say!” (96). Giles is the kind of character that brings the reader’s insight to the story. He says what we want to say in the situation, and pays for it dearly.
Giles is like a puppy barking and howling around everyone’s feet while they are trying to shoo him away in a language he does not understand. Giles is always trying to get into everything, and is therefore always being told to be quiet; however, his nature does not allow it and he can not keep from barking again for long. In the court against his wife, Giles screams, “I have evidence. Why will you not hear my evidence?” (84) even after being told several times to, “keep [his] seat!” (84). He tries to nip at the ankles of beings far larger than him, and it does nothing but get him thrown out to sleep in the cold. He is lovable, naive, and funny like a puppy is. Even when he is killed, he dies with a smile and goes straight to his Master’s lap.
Giles Corey is like Charlie Brown, because nothing goes his way and everyone seems to be against him in one way or another.