John Proctor's Relationships In The Crucible

1302 Words3 Pages

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 17th century. It’s plot revolves around several accusations of witchcraft that occur after Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty falls unconscious. It is later revealed that several of the girls from the town had danced naked in the woods attempting to conjure spirits to hurt the wife of a local farmer named John Proctor. The leader of the prohibited dancing in the woods was Abigail Williams, the niece of Reverend Parris who had obtained help with conjuring spirits from Tituba a slave who Reverend Parris had brought with him from his trip to Barbados. Abigail has been in love with John Proctor since she had became his servant but due to complications, her working …show more content…

He witnesses couples he has known for years be separated due to false accusations, and sees the growth in power that they are gaining. Along with all this, John’s relationship with Elizabeth is also complicated as Elizabeth is noticing John’s willingness to cover for Abigail and all her terrible actions. This is clear on page 52, when Elizabeth says to John, “With a smile, to keep her dignity: John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not.” The previous statement was rebutted with an aggravated response by John.“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. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!” John needs to prove himself to his own wife, as well as others throughout the town whose views on him are not as clearly defined. As the play progresses, Elizabeth is soon accused of witchcraft, which brings John directly to the situations at hand. He is becoming a more active member in the judiciary system and is proving the faults of the judges specifically Judge Danforth. Judge Danforth and John Proctor have growing tension between them and compete amongst each other to bring the other down. John questions on page 73, “If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God 's fingers? I 'll tell you what 's walking Salem—vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant 's vengeance! I 'll not give my wife to vengeance!” Towards the end

Open Document