John Proctor Sacrifice In The Crucible

Imagine being executed for a crime you never committed. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is faced with many difficult situations and conflicts; all because of a single lie. Since John Proctor is motivated by honor and morality, his decision to revoke his confession makes him a tragic hero.

In The Crucible, John Proctor is a good man with a deadly secret. He has a wife, children, and a good name in the Puritan society. However, his lust for Abigail Williams leads to their affair, which could potentially ruin Proctor’s status in Salem if anyone were to find out. Proctor is, above all, a proud man who places great emphasis on his reputation. Proctor regrets his past actions, and dislikes Abigail for continually provoking him to love her. Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, is suspicious of his relations with Abigail, which causes tension in their marriage. His negative feelings toward Abigail grow stronger and stronger as the

play progresses. Although Proctor seems to be caught in the middle of trouble, he desperately wants his life to be back to normal and wants only the best for his family. When Abigail forces a group of girls to act “bewitched” to stay out of trouble, they put the blame on innocent people, saying they are under the spirit of the devil. The Puritans become so paranoid and superstitious that they hang all of the accused that don’t confess to being witches. After an unfortunate series of events, Proctor’s servant, Mary, ends up accusing Proctor of witchcraft to save her own life.
Many of the innocent victims lie to the court and confess to serving the devil to avoid being executed, and some put the blame on other innocent people.

This creates a web of confusion and lies throughout the village. Proctor, however, does not feel right confessing to something he did not do. Reverend Hale, a man who is trying to undo the wrongs and bring peace to Salem, tries to persuade Proctor to confess for the sake of his family. When Proctor is offered the opportunity to confess being a witch publically and live, he almost gives in, even signing his name on a written document. Nevertheless, he states, “Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten before.” (p. 208) Proctor has the opportunity to choose his fate, and makes an honorable choice that will protect his name. When Proctor is taken away to be hanged, Elizabeth says, “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take if from him!” (p.212) It was a noble decision of him to sacrifice himself, rather than let others die in his place and ruin his

reputation.
In this play, John Proctor is a very dynamic character. Preceding Act I, Proctor does not think of himself as an honorable man because of his history with Abigail. The town of Salem generally thinks of him as a good man, but questions his religious faith because of his lack of attendance in church. He is not on good terms with Salem’s reverend, Parris. Towards the beginning of the play, the audience does not necessarily think of Proctor as “the good guy.” However, as the plot develops, his good character begins to show as he gets more involved with the court hearings. He always stands up for the truth, and only wants peace for the village. After Mary accuses Proctor of being a witch, he and Elizabeth’s relationship finally mends, and he wants people to remember him as a man with an honorable heart. His choice of death over lying is truly a courageous decision. As he stands at the gallows at the end of the play, the people of Salem see him for the righteous man he really is.
As you can see, John Proctor is the perfect example of a tragic hero. His journey in life drastically changes him from his shady past life to become a better man. At the point in his life where he is finally “good,” he must die for the better of society. Although it may seem extreme for Proctor to die for the truth, remember these words from Rebecca Nurse: “Let you fear nothing! Another judgment waits us all!” (p. 212)