Literary Analysis of Bravery in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Literary Analysis of Bravery in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Brave is defined as: Possessing or displaying courage; valiant. Being

brave is not necessarily always good and can lead to a disastrous

outcome. In the play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the

protagonist and antagonist both display a great deal of courage. John

Proctor is brave in the sense that he is willing to make a confession

and risk his life to save his wife’s life, and Abigail Williams is

brave in the sense that she is bold enough to falsely condemn a large

amount of people of witchery knowing that they will all be hung.

John Proctor is a wealthy farmer who’s wife is accused of bewitching

young girls and practicing witchcraft. Throughout the play John proves

that he is a brave man. As soon as his wife is accused, John quickly

goes to the court proceedings to denounce the trial and to reveal that

the girls that accuse his wife are just pretending. Also that the only

reason his wife was accused is because Abigail Williams, the leader of

the accusers, had had an extra marital affair with John, and John

said,” She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave!” (p.106). By

saying this he admits to committing lechery, which is punished by

death. This is just one of the times when John is courageous and puts

his life before his wife’s. Soon after John is arrested for condemning

the court, and for saying “I say-I say – God is dead” (p.115). The day

of his hanging, there is unrest within the town. They town knew John

to be a good man, and they could not believe that John would be

killed. Knowing this, Reverend John Hale tries to convince John to

admit to witchery. John eventually gives in and decides to falsely

confess in order to save his life. Once he had verbally confessed the

Judge ask John for a written confession. John writes it but upon being

asked to sign it he refuses. Instead of confessing and incriminating

all of his friends which have also been accused John tears the