Proctor as an Admirable Character in MIller's The Crucible

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Proctor as an Admirable Character in MIller's The Crucible During the play, there are many things revealed about the character of John Proctor. It appears, overall, that he is admirable, as the question suggests, but Proctor displays a good deal of qualities and shows signs of weakness and anger. He seems a very passionate man, though occasionally his admirable actions could be misinterpreted as him being stubborn. For example at the end of the play when, Proctor refuses to sign his confession. Arthur miller creates depth in Proctor's character by building him up slowly. When Proctor first appears in the play the words he speaks are foreboding, therefore making him seem an unpleasant character. Though as a result of the actions throughout the course of the rest of the play his admirability slowly increases and towards the end, he is almost the play's tragic hero. Proctor makes many mistakes in the play, the most evident of them being his affair with Abigail Williams, the niece of reverend Parris and the former servant of the Proctor household. In the play John's wife, Elizabeth Proctor, dismissed Abigail, when John confessed his affair. In act two John and Elizabeth are arguing, when John cries "No more…Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not." I think Proctor is to be admired for the way in which he handles this argument, and his responses to what his wife says. He is encouraging her to see the good in him, and therefore the audience searches for it as well. Proctor also reminds Elizabeth that no one is perfect and admits that this was a mistake. He tells her "…I wilted, and, like a Chris... ... middle of paper ... ...lf to lies, saying, "…Because it is my name, because I cannot have another in my life…I have given you my soul; leave me my name." This is by far the most admirable thing Proctor does in the play. At the beginning of the play Proctor's pride and fear of public opinion forced him to keep his affair from the court, and promote the witchcraft hysteria. By the end of the play he is more concerned with how he feels about himself and his personal integrity than how the village see him and his public reputation. Proctor still wants to save his name, but for religious and personal reasons, rather than pride. The way Proctor behaves is deeply admirable and by the end of the play, John redeems himself for his earlier sins. As Elizabeth says at the very end, "He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him."

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