The Crucible Persuasive Essay

American president Abraham Lincoln once said, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years” (www.brainyquote.com). How long someone lives does not matter more than how they live. People remember actions more than anything else. Many people have two choices in a dilemma. They have to analyze different causes and effects the choices have. People have to choose the outcome they want to be known. Just as in life, literary characters have to choose between two opposite actions and live with the consequences. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor faces a crucible that causes him to question whether he will live or die. Because of his crucible, Proctor feels guilt, hopeless, and satisfaction.

First,

guilt brings Proctor’s crucible into the story. Proctor has an affair with Abigail that causes her to be obsessed with Proctor. Elizabeth notices this and believes they are still having an affair. Proctor is upset about Elizabeth’s distrust, especially because he has tried to make things better: “I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart” (52). Elizabeth believes Proctor is still infatuated with Abigail. Proctor has to try and do whatever he can to make Elizabeth feel wanted again. He says what he can to make her feel as if she never does anything wrong. He also never sees Abigail to make sure that Elizabeth has no reason to suspect a rekindle of the affair. Although Proctor never sees Abigail, she believes that Proctor loves her and accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft to remove her from the picture. When Elizabeth is arrested, Proctor has to tell the court about the affair. Proctor is trying to make Abigail uncredible to clear Elizabeth's name. When Proctor is in the courtroom, he expresses his guilt for the affair by saying, “A man may think that God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now” (102). God knows everything and once Proctor had the affair, he has no chance at heaven. Proctor knows what he did is wrong and that he can not get away with the affair no matter how hard he tried. The town would have eventually found out and then his and his family's reputation would have been destroyed for forever. The confession of the affair hurts Proctor by more than just his reputation because now it is easier to believe Mary Warren when she tells the court that Proctor is a witch. Proctor’s guilt has hurt himself and everyone around him.
As a result of the affair, Proctor feels hopeless about his chance at redemption.

Proctor knows he is not going to Heaven because of his past sins. Proctor believes nothing can change by telling one more lie: “Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before” (126). Proctors fate is sealed when he had the affair. There is no chance at being saved because once someone tells a lie, they are going to go to Hell according to Puritan belief. Knowing that he can never go to Heaven, Proctor would rather live his life with the town believing he is a witch than say he isn't a witch and die now. Even though Proctor has no hope for his future, he does not want to hurt the future for others. All the others condemned are good people and do not deserve to have their goodness taken away from them: “They think to go like saints. I like not to spoil their names” (130). Proctor does not have the power to seal others fate. He can only speak about himself and whether he is a witch or not. He cannot tell a lie for himself which also tells a lie about others. By lying about the others, he will change how the town views them. If the town believes the others are witches, then their families cannot live peacefully. Proctor wants them to be able to go out with their names intact. He feels hopeless about his own fate but can only decide his fate, not

others.
Proctor originally feels hopeless, but then he learns to be satisfied with his life and chooses to die a honest man. By not hurting the other names, he realizes that he can save himself. He can protect his family and make sure that they can believe in him. Heaven may not be where he is destined, but he can make sure he is still a good man in the towns eyes by refusing to sign his confession of witchcraft: “I have given you my soul; leave me my name” (133). When Proctor agreed to the confession of witchcraft, he gave away any hope that the courts had in him. He knows no one in the courts believes he is innocent but he wants the townspeople to still believe in him. If he dies a good man on the noose, then he still has his name and it has not been tarnished. Proctor’s sons can live on proud of their name and having hope in their father. If Proctor signed the confession, then the courts would have been using him to encourage the others condemned to confess to witchcraft: “I am no Sarah Good or Tituba, I am John Proctor! It is no part of salvation that you should use me!” (132). The court wanted to put an end to the trials by hanging everyone that has been accused. Proctor's name carries weight in the town and his confession would not be taken easily. It would cast doubt on the truthfulness on the others accused of witchcraft. The townspeople would start to believe that the condemned could be witches and want to see them hang. The condemned will also believe that there is no hope once Proctor confesses and confess themselves. They would have worked their entire lives to be the best that they could be to have their chance at Heaven be shattered from one lie. Proctor knows that justice would not happen if they all confessed because of his one lie. Proctor decided to tell the truth and be the honest and good man that he is.
In conclusion, John Proctor faces a crucible that causes him to chooses to live or die in Arthur Miller’s novel The Crucible. John Proctor feels guilty about his affair, lying is the only choice, and learns he is satisfied with his life. Choosing to do good is more powerful than any other choice. How someone chooses to live their life makes the lasting impact.