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Character analysis for john proctor in act 3 of the crucible
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“How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!” This quote is said by John Proctor, a character from the Crucible, while he was in court. John was in court testifying against Abigail
Williams claiming that his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, was a witch. John Proctor is a respected member of Salem. He is somewhat of a Christian man following most of his commandments, and he is also somewhat of a sinner. John had committed adultery, and had always worked on Sunday. But after reading the play the Crucible, I have seen that John and I share many traits in common, we’re both loyal, rational, and hard working.
The first trait John and I have is that we’re both quite loyal to our friends. John, is very loyal to his friends. John, Giles, and Francis went down to the courthouse to go get their wives. Governor Danforth told John he could have his wife back for one year and then she will be prosecuted for witchcraft. John declined, stating that they all came for their wifes. This selfless act shows just how loyal he is to his friends. I’m quite loyal to my friends, although I have never
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been in a situation that parallels his, I would think I’d be as loyal as he was in a situation like that. Also I have a lot of respect for my friends. I don’t talk behind their backs, I don’t go against them, I’m usually quite respectful. Not only are we loyal, but we are both rational.
John Proctor is rational as he can be throughout the play. He knows there is no witchcraft in Salem, and keeps a level head about things until the end of the court proceedings. He tried stating that the girls were trying to fool the town and the court into believing their tales of witchcraft. Even though Governor Danforth started to question the girls on the legitimacy of their story, most off the court was already quite convinced that there was witchcraft in Salem. But John still stuck to his rationality. I have been in questionable situations where the people themselves put all of us into precarious predicaments. But in those situations I have kept my rationality, always looking to it first above all. Even when someone freaks themselves out a bit because they hear something in their house, I usually think that the house is just hold and a bit
creaky. The last characteristic I can relate with John is that we’re both hard working. John is a very hardworking man. He is a “religious” man but still works on Sundays, which is against his Ten Commandments. All throughout the play John could usually be found working, coming in from work, or going to work. And the town, mainly Reverend Parris, prosecutes him because he works on Sundays. But the work he does defines his character, he has a house with children, and a wife. He is also in quite a small town and isn’t heavily wealthy. I myself can respect what he does, even though he is going against his “beliefs” he still provides for his family. I myself find it a lot easier to work in labor than anything else. I do like to work with my hands, and could do manual labor for awhile. I can definitely respect what John is doing. He doesn’t have time for Parris rambling on in church and he has to provide for his family. Loyalty, rationality, and hardworking skills are three traits John Proctor and I display in our lives. I would think that if I was in John’s situation, I believe I would have acted the same. Only because I admit I’m wrong only when I'm wrong.
because children were thought of as the vice of god and they were pure of
John Proctor and Reverend Hale are similar as they have both detected the corruption beneath the witchcraft accusations and attempt to prevent false testimonies and innocent people being hanged. John Proctor easily realizes the truth of the witchcraft trials because of his affair with Abigail Williams, one of the leading culprits of the hysteria in Salem. Abby exclaims that “Elizabeth hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman” (Miller 12). Abigail feels this way, not because Elizabeth has mistreated her, but instead because Elizabeth is Proctor’s wife, a nuisance to Abigail and Proctor’s relationship. Additionally, after Elizabeth found out about the affair, she fired Abigail, thus ridding Abigail
In life everything is about choices whether it is a serious choice such as moving place to place because of your parents career or it being like wanting to eat a muffin or apple for breakfast. In the Crucible written about the Salem 1692 witch trials, John Proctor is one of the main characters in the play. John is 35 years of age and is Married to Elizabeth Proctor. A concept we have to understand is in this era Witch accusations were always coming from different people to random innocent women and men. These accusations are obviously false, but due to what they believed in, and how strong they were in religion, witch trials became of it. All the choices people made during the Salem witch trials, were always looked upon corresponding to John and the choices he made.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is set in Salem in a Puritan community. John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale, Reverend Paris, and Abigail are the main characters. The book is about witchcraft or what the town thinks is witchcraft. John Proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his temper.
“I have given you my soul; leave me my name” (Miller 133) screams the belligerent John Proctor, confronted with the very real possibility of his execution. Being accused of witchcraft, a crime he did not commit, John Proctor is threatened by the religiously controlled courts in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials in an allegorical story for Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Red Scare. However, in the face of persecution by religion, John Proctor demonstrates immense resolve against the aggressive power figures of the Puritan Church. Throughout the story, John Proctor clashes with the religious authorities in his town. His main goal: trying to protect his family and friends from personal attacks, comprised entirely of fabricated evidence, by the church establishment.
When the play sets in to action, John has had a past affair with his servant Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor is very forgiving of his sin, but John has his mind set that he will not confess to anyone else, in fear of ruining his good name, and reputation. The affair between John and Abigail caused the start of chaotic witchery and accusation. After the affair, Abigail became horribly jealous of Elizabeth Proctor. Proctor realizes there is only one way to stop all the witch hysteria in Salem, and that would be to confess his sin of adultery. Although he knows he should, he continues to be determined not to confess. Also in the beginning Reverend Paris is new to town, and John insist continually that he is only speaking of hell, and hardly ever of God, as Proctor goes on to say to Parris, "Can you speak one minute without we land in Hell again? I am sick of Hell!" (Miller 30). In the drama, Mary Warren places a needle in a poppet she gave to Elizabeth; John firmly demands that Mary Warren tell the courts that she really put the needle in the poppet that day. Proctor says to her, "You're coming to the court with me, Mary. You will tell it in the court." (Miller 80). Furthermore, at the end of the play Proctor is persistent by saying that no matter what anyone says to convince him differently, he would rather die an honest man and save his name. John Proctor took pride in his thoughts, feelings, values, and his name. It took persistency to make his intent clear to others.
What we mean by that is his defensive actions were made for a reason. We saw that John Proctor defended the valiantly for his wife’s freedom, his own freedom, as well as the freedom of many others of the condemned. One of the many instances Proctor defends himself is when he states, “I’ll not have it!” He stood his ground on not being involved with witchcraft. Not only is that evidence of itself proving his innocence, but it is well-known now that he declared his standing. Proctor defended the other women by putting together “sort of a testament. The people signing it declare their good opinion of Rebecca, and my wife, and Martha.” He went out of his way to receive many of these opinions to help out these innocent There was no reason to and no one had asked, but he did it because his defensive nature to stand up for the truth. In fact, he defended his wife with his life, without any hesitation. One instance is when Elizabeth was accused of possessing a poppet at home. In the court, John Proctor stated, “Your honor, my wife never kept no poppets.” In hopes to save his wife’s life, he laid down his. It only made sense that he was innocent. Who defends something and ruins their good name for something they know is
John Proctor: “God in heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor”. John is a man of strong moral beliefs, concerned only for the safety of his family and personal welfare. He cares of nothing for the beliefs of any of the other people in the town and what his supervisor which is the Reverend, thinks either. After trying to avoid involvement in the witch trials he is later prosecuted for witchery and sentenced to hang. John trys to avoid any involvement in the Salem witch trials. His reason for doing so is to protect his image because he is afraid he will be committed of adultery with Abigail Williams. Following these events he trys to save everyone’s lives by admitting to this horrible offense adultery and ends up losing the trial along with his life. He did have a chance to live but instead of signing away his name and his soul to keep his life, he wanted to die honorably with his friends not without a name, a soul, and with guilt. “John Proctors decision to die is reasonable and believable”. Reverend Parris, the Salem minister and Proctors immediate supervisor, which says “ there is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning.” “The church in theocratic Salem is identical with the state and the community and will surely crumble if unquestioning obedience falters in the least.” Proctor, on the other hand, “has come to regard his self as a king of fraud,” as long as he remains obedient to an authority which he cannot respect.
This creates tension in the home between John and Elizabeth Proctor. “You were alone with her?” Elizabeth says, John responds “for a moment alone aye” “why then it is not what you told me”.(222) This angers John because he is floating in his guilt for being unfaithful to his wife. Its builds a strain on their marriage and keep the couple in a cold house. Proctor has been faith full to his religion, only attending church only once a month. These actions put more reason for people to suspect that john is participating in witchcraft. “I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before.”(239) John is selfish by going with the lie saying, he participated in witchcraft than to confess and say he didn’t to be with his wife and his unborn child. John lived in a lie and he Salem government took his life from
“PROCTOR: Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone.
A tragic hero is a noble man who commits a fatal flaw. The hero’s downfall is a result of their choices which leads to a punishment that exceeds the crime. “The difference between Proctor and Willy Loman is enormous; the former is the rather typical tragic hero who is defiant to the end, the latter is trapped in submission and is living a lie” (McGill 4). John Proctor is one of the main characters in The Crucible. he is married to Elizabeth Proctor and they live in Salem. In Arthur Miller’s famous play, The Crucible, John Proctor represents a classic tragic hero because he is a well respected man of noble stature, he is conflicted because of his fatal flaw, and his downfall is a result of his own choices.
This statement is true for John Proctor, he judges himself harshly for his sins and is disgusted with himself. John Proctor is a foil to most characters in the play. They are conformists and submissive as a result of the restrictive lifestyle they had to lead.
In this town Salem will be forever corrupted… with this so called justice. Those who you have know and we're friends are aren't what they are anymore. The judges have no reason. Justice has vanished. There is no god in this place anymore. The people believe nothing but a liar. It is not Elizabeth's fault. It was I, John Proctor who has betrayed her. I shall be punished for the cause of such tragedy. I never wanted this to be. I was too careless and excited. Elizabeth deserves someone better than me, For I am nothing other than a deceiving husband. Everytime I look into her Hazel eyes, it reminds me of my flaws of a husband. I so ashamed. I shall redeem myself and be free from this chaos that I have started. Tomorrow I will be forgiven for my shame. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. Today is my last. I John Proctor will be forgiven for the sins I sins I have made. Farewell.
A tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In the play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrays John Proctor, the protagonist, as a tragic hero who has a major flaw—lust for Abigail, his teenage house servant. For fear of being exiled in a town where reputation is highly upheld, Proctor initially tries to hide his crime of adultery, but this affair triggers a major series of events in Salem, where unproven accusations lead to internal struggle and eventually to catastrophe.
John Proctor faces many decisions in response to his moral dilemma to try to save his life. One of the difficult decisions John makes is to reveal that he had an affair with Abigail Williams and thereby has committed adultery. If the local court convicts him of this crime, he faces being jailed. Also by admitting this crime, John reveals a weakness in his character. This flaw in his personality will make it harder for him to stand up in the community as an honorable and believable person. In trying to convince others that witchcraft does not exist John’s dishonesty with his wife will make him less convincing to the community.