In The Crucible (1953), Arthur Miller proves that one bad decision does not make a bad person. He creates this theme through John Proctor, a middle-aged farmer who makes one mistake: sleeping with the young and flirtatious, but lying, Abigail Williams. However, his love for his wife prevails over the lust he once had for the young one, leading to jealousy kindling in Abigail's soul. This little spark turns into fire and brings about the Salem Witch trials. People, left and right, accuse each other of witchcraft for land, for protection of reputation, and out of fear. Abigail Williams eventually accuses Elizabeth Proctor, John’s wife. If Goody Proctor does not confess to being a witch, she will be hanged. John then faces a dilemma between his reputation and proving his wife innocent, along with several others. He puts himself aside and confesses that he committed adultery with Abigail Williams in order to prove that the witches in Salem was fabricated by Abigail from the start. …show more content…
However, Abigail’s exceptional acting skills scares Marry Warren into accusing John Proctor as a witch. He now has a new choice. The options are to live in a lie, his good name documented as a witch, or hang in truth, dying as an adulterer but an honest man. John Proctor decides to die knowing only God can judge his sins. Can honesty excuse one’s mistake? How far does a man of guilt have to prove himself to be guiltless? John Proctor’s decisions throughout The Crucible were driven by his nobility. Driven by his nobility, John Proctor strived to fix his marriage after his affair with Abigail. As Elizabeth Proctor holds a grudge towards John, he reminds her that he confessed (Miller 163). John told Elizabeth what he did with Abigail. Most people can not bring themselves to look in the eyes of the person they betrayed and tell them that they cheated on them because of the trust and loyalty they will lose. John Proctor is filled with guilt like any other human, but his values are his motives to tell Elizabeth the truth, knowing that he would have to gain that trust back. Not only does John confess but also tells Abby that he will not be “coming for [her] anymore (Miller 145). Elizabeth was sick for a while, not being able to satisfy John’s needs, and Williams, a young and beautiful girl, was willing to give him that. John Proctor, with the true heart he has, looked beyond his physical attraction with Abigail and gave her up for Elizabeth. His love for his wife won over his mistress, not the normal outcome most people would settle for. John’s decision to mend his broken relationship with his wife reflects his magnanimous character. John Proctor’s magnanimous and honorable characteristics helps him make the decision to tell judge Danforth, along with the help of Mary Warren, that the whole witch fiasco is a lie. John Proctor, first of all, is informed by the court that Elizabeth was pregnant, and if he drops the charges then she will be “saved at least [a] year”, but John refuses the proposition because his friends’ “wives are also accused” (Miller 181). Imagine John’s feelings when hears that he is going to have a child. Imagine what he also feels when there are innocent people, who he cares for, about to be hung. He could have saved his wife and unborn child and move on with his life, but his noble side brings out the justice side of him. He knows that risking his wife and baby’s life is worth trying to save everyone. Trying to save everyone, John helps Mary tell the truth to the court, but Abigail starts pretending Mary is a witch. John finally snaps, calling Abby a whore. The court demands an explanation, and John confesses that he has committed sexual sin with Williams (Miller 189). It is one thing to tell your wife that you had other sexual relations with another woman, but it is another thing to ruin your reputation in such a small town. Also, these are puritans. Committing adultery has a severe punishment of death. Only a man with John Proctor’s morals could have the dignity to confess such a crime for what is right. John’s nobility drives his sense of justice. Proctor’s noble characteristic, justice, does not compare with his courage when deciding to live and later deciding to do die. He makes a courageous and selfless act when he admits to being a witch but that he has not “seen anyone with the devil” (Miller 206). It is clear that there is no real witch in the town of Salem, and John Proctor has made it clear that he doesn’t believe in them either. He has the guts to take all the blame for something he didn't do or believe in so that everyone can be released and go back to their normal lives. John is willing to be known as the devil’s servant even if he really isn't one. After he decides to live in that lie, he is ordered to sign a testimony, so that it can be hung in the middle of town where everyone can see it. After he signs it, he rips it up, realizing what he has done. Hale reminds John that he “will hang!” (208). Proctor realizes that not only will his good name be stripped from him, but signing the testimony is proof that he is a witch. John Proctor is one of very few people in town that is respected and completely sane. If the court proves that he is guilty of witchcraft, then they can prove that all the other innocent people, who have denied the accusations, are witches too. John Proctor is brave enough take his life in order to save the town and possibly other colonies from this hysteria. Both of John Proctor's decisions, to live or to die, were made by a noble man of honorable values. While John Proctor proves himself noble through his honorable values, many people see him as a man who makes poor choices.
The foremost poor choice john made was committing adultery. Of course cheating on your significant other is an awful thing to do. However, John Proctor not only confessed but also put so much guilt on himself, way more than he should have. He is only human, and everyone makes mistakes. Even his own wife said that he must forgive himself (Miller 204). On top of committing adultery, many people think he was selfish for deciding to die, leaving his pregnant wife to suffer in the jail and missing the opportunity to raise his unborn baby. Nonetheless, his name is all he has left (Miller 207). He feels guilty for what he has done, is shamed upon in town, and his name will be documented for a lie he is not done. John Proctor did whatever he could to be a good man; he is not going to spoil that. Though John Proctor has made mistakes, he has done far greater deeds as a noble
man. When given critical decisions, the noble John Proctor chooses with honesty, justice, and courage. John has made choices that are far beyond the capabilities of the greatest people in the world’s society, yet he is still is criticized for his one clear mistake. People often dwell on the past and never make room for forgiveness of themselves and others. However, once everyone can learn to forgive, they will be able to see the true knights of the world. Not the kind with heavy, shiny, armor, who fights bloody battles, but the kind like John Proctor, who have compassion, fight for what is right, are selfless and strive to be better. If the world can learn one thing from John Proctor, it is to not wait a lifetime to accept and forgive mistakes. Once he was able to let his sin go, he was able to do the greatest thing a man could ever do: die for righteousnesses.
Have you ever been hung? I haven't, but John Proctor on the other hand has. He was hung for not giving up on what he believed was right. He als took the raft because he didn't want his wife to be hung. This all happened in “The Crucible” and the character is John Proctor. I will be giving examples of how John Proctor showed moral courage.
The protagonists In both the play The Crucible, and the movie “None without Sin” ultimately emerged from their own nightmares without sin. Both Terry and John Proctor had to endure challenges and had to complete correct course of action, however both characters differ in comparison to the screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s quote.
“ I say- I say- God is dead!” Yells John Proctor as Danforth asks him if he will confess himself to hell. John Proctor lives in Salem, his wife has been accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams who John Proctor had an affair with. A short while after Elizabeth is accused, John Proctor also gets accused by Mary Warren.
Imagine a teacher giving a zero to a student on a test for cheating, but had no proof the student was guilty? This is exactly how John Proctor felt when Mary Warren accused him of witchcraft, with no proof. Even under these circumstances, he keeps his composure for the most part, and accepts his fate. Many of Mr. Proctor´s personality traits can be associated with my own in that he and I, sometimes stretch the truth, is not easily fooled, and fight for what we believe in.
This statement is true for John Proctor, he judges himself harshly for his sins and is disgusted with himself. John Proctor is a foil to most characters in the play. They are conformists and submissive as a result of the restrictive lifestyle they had to lead.
Out of all the characters in the crucible was great, but in my opinion, Elizabeth is the best character in the cast in the Crucible. She was a faithful wife, a good mother, and strong in her faith/religion. Even though her husband cheated on her she still remained faithful to him. Elizabeth demonstrates a very truthful woman. She’s the wife of John Proctor. Nicknamed Goody Proctor, because she was a good christen woman. Everyone liked her, because she was a woman who never lied. Until, she lied in court one day to save her husband’s life. She acts very frigidly to others. The only person that didn’t like her was Abigail Williams. Abigail wants Elizabeth to die because Abigail wants John Proctor all to her self.
In this town Salem will be forever corrupted… with this so called justice. Those who you have know and we're friends are aren't what they are anymore. The judges have no reason. Justice has vanished. There is no god in this place anymore. The people believe nothing but a liar. It is not Elizabeth's fault. It was I, John Proctor who has betrayed her. I shall be punished for the cause of such tragedy. I never wanted this to be. I was too careless and excited. Elizabeth deserves someone better than me, For I am nothing other than a deceiving husband. Everytime I look into her Hazel eyes, it reminds me of my flaws of a husband. I so ashamed. I shall redeem myself and be free from this chaos that I have started. Tomorrow I will be forgiven for my shame. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. Today is my last. I John Proctor will be forgiven for the sins I sins I have made. Farewell.
In conclusion, it cannot be denied that John Proctor made a major mistake and betrayed his wife and his own moral code. Despite that, he was a strong, level-headed individual that cared for his family and desired to leave them with a good name. He would not have felt such a high level of guilt if he had not expected so much from himself, which is the quality of a moral person. John Proctor was a good man who truly deserved the title of protagonist in The Crucible.
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was the death of nineteen men and women to hang and jailed many more. The city was filled in accusation; as fear and and distress took all control. As one of the men was accused, John proctor a man of irreproachability and truthfulness was hanged for his association with the devil. In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the author portrays John Proctor to be a good man because of his loyalty and honesty shown throughout the play.
The consequences of shirking accountability for ones actions are depicted through the tribulations John Proctor faced, in Arthur Miller's, The Crucible. Although John reluctantly became involved in the Salem witch trials, his initial silence proved to be the downfall of not only himself, but of his fellow townspeople as well. John Proctor remained silent for one reason, and that was to protect himself. As a result of his self-serving desires to avoid the consequences of his actions, innocent citizens were put to death.
The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller in 1952 and has remained such a renowned play in American literature because the play pays close attention to the importance of reputation, which continues to be as much of a priority in 1692 as in modern times. The play opens with girls getting caught dancing in the woods by Rev. Parris, which escalates to the assumption of them practicing witchcraft. The girls, lead by Abigail Williams, pledge their love for God and undertake the responsibility of accusing whoever they please of witchcraft, usually under false assumptions. An accuser, Mary Warren, does whatever it takes to stay on Abigail’s good side, even if that means going against the principles of her religion. Reverend Parris prioritizes reputation over religion when he pledges to not lie in court, but convinces his daughter, Betty, to fabricate a story to justify her fainting in the woods after he caught them. Lastly, when Mary Warren betrays John Proctor and claims, “You are the Devil’s man!” he refuses to confess of witchcraft to
Shakespeare and Miller were two very different writers who were always able to portray great messages in their writing. These two authors were also amazing at setting up relationships between characters in their writing, like Miller’s characters, Abigail and John. Although they bear some minor similarities, the differences between Abigail and John and Hero and Claudio’s relationships are striking.
I think Proctor is to be admired for the way in which he handles this
Another important work Miller wrote, The Crucible, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 17th century. It is a time when jealousy and suspicion poisoned the thinking of an entire town. Neighbor turned against neighbor when events happened that could not be explained. Accusations turned into a mad hunt for witches who did not exist. One of the main characters of the play is John Proctor, a well-respected man with a good name in the town. As the play develops, John Proctor’s moral dilemma becomes evident: he must decide whether to lie and confess to witchcraft in order to save his life, or to die an honest man, true to his beliefs.
John Proctor is by no means perfect. People look up to him, but he still has flaws. Proctor is easily angered, and sometimes he can’t control himself when he gets so mad. He threatens Mary Warren by saying "I'll whip the devil out of you!" (59). Proctor loses his temper here. He knows that he should not be threatening Mary Warren, but he does it anyway because he is so upset. Proctor loses his temper when Abigail starts crying to Heaven. He say “How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!” (109). While he is shouting this he is pulling Abigail by her hair to get her to stand up. Proctor is vulnerable when he is angered. He threatens his reputation in the town by bringing the affair public, and he shows his violence by pulling Abigail’s hair. Proctor can be seen as a bad Puritan throughout the play. He cheats on his Elizabeth with Abigail. This is a big mistake in the Puritan community because it breaks one of the Ten Commandments. John admits "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time" (23). Proctor admits he likes Abby, even though he has a wife. Proctor proves his loyalty to his wife, but has still made the mistake of sleeping with someone else. Also, Proctor doesn’t always show up to church. He says it is because he doesn’t like Parris and his wife has been sick, but others in the town may think he is a bad Puritan because of it. Although Proctor is a common man who the town