Symbolism In The Crucible

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor plays a very significant and crucial role in many ways. John, being a man 33 years old, was a farmer who had married to Elizabeth and after their third baby, had an affair with Abigail after she was hired as a housemaid. Throughout the story, John showed dramatic emotional and personal courage, uses irony, imagery, foreshadowing and symbolism to show his sins, guilt, confrontation, love and adherence. Proctor shows hatred for hypocrites, especially Reverend Parris, and after committing adultery; he becomes one of his own. Proctor shows a desperate need and want for forgiveness throughout The Crucible and in all reality; John needs to forgive himself just as Abigail says in the book. As well as

While you can see that even though John would like to forget about this madness between him and Abby, Elizabeth, John’s wife will never forget this incident and is not yet at this time able to forgive John for what he has committed. This makes Proctor feel even more remorseful and immoral because at this point not even his own wife trusts him. At the same time, Reverend Hale has come to the Proctor house to evaluate on the godliness of the household. Throughout all of Hale’s questioning both John and Elizabeth worry what may come out of this madness. When John was being asked about his commandments he had known all but one. Forgetting “thou shall not commit adultery,” proves the guilt that John feels over what had occurred between him and Abigail. Even though John forgets, he is quickly reminded by his loving and caring wife. Thus giving Reverend Hale reason to believe witchcraft has succumbed to the Proctor

Finally John cannot take it anymore and decides to give up his good name and tell the truth of being a lecher. The sorrow John feels and the guilt is also viewed by the quote “A man will not cast away his good name” (p. 115) showing that he is thinking of his own wife before even considering himself or the troubles he may have to face in the coming future. John begins to see what madness he has caused and believes that the only way to stop this is and show Elizabeth that he cares will be to confess and prove Abigail guilty of fraud and lying. Unfortunately Judge Danforth does not see this statement to be valid and arrests Proctor for contempt of the