True Meaning Of Integrity In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

The True Meaning of Integrity

Oprah Winfrey once said, “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” I strongly agree with her, and I also believe the true meaning of integrity is being honest and always sticking to what is right, no matter the circumstance. Since integrity means a person has a moral span that does not waver, it is a personality trait well admired. Integrity is not only shown in real life, it’s involved in literature as well. Many models of integrity are shown in Arthur Miller’s drama, The Crucible, a play about the crucial times of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. I believe there are a few concepts of integrity: being true to yourself, being true to others, and being grounded to

your values.

To begin, one of the concepts of integrity is staying true to yourself. So-Young Kang from The Huffington Post supports this and states,

“Integrity stems from the Latin word ‘integer’ which means whole and complete. So integrity requires an inner sense of ‘wholeness’ and consistency of character. When you are in integrity, people should be able to visibly see it through your actions, words, decisions, methods, and outcomes. When you are ‘whole’ and consistent, there is only one you. You bring that same you wherever you are, regardless of the circumstance. You don’t leave parts of yourself behind”(Kang).

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I heavily agree with her personal definition of integrity. When someone shows integrity, the state of wholeness comes from him or her and he or she clearly demonstrates it through their words, decisions, and actions. Following that, in Arthur Miller’s drama, The Crucible, there are a few characters who show integrity and whose integrity was challenged, John Proctor being the protagonist who stands out. John Proctor is accused of witchcraft but stands up to maintain his honor and name, even though he gets hanged for it. In Act 3,

when John Proctor is in court talking to Danforth, he pleads, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name”(Miller 4.4). Proctor is reluctant to ruin his friends’ reputations, so he clings to his own reputation of loyalty and integrity. He then throws away his confession. In addition, Harper Lee, a bright author, explained, “They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience”(Lee). Admiring oneself and not giving up for what you believe is extremely important when it comes to integrity. In addition to this, Shannon L. Alder insists, “Staying silent is like a slow growing cancer to the soul and a trait of a true coward. There is nothing intelligent about not standing up for yourself. You may not win every battle. However, everyone will at least know what you stood for—YOU”(Alder). I believe standing up for yourself is one of the best things you can do. Like Alder said, it does not matter if you win or lose the battle, what really matters is you will know who you were true to, along with everybody else.

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Moreover, being true to others is a key concept when talking about integrity. In The Crucible, John Proctor admits to his affair with Abigail Williams in court because his sense of integrity demands it. His wife, Elizabeth, is sentenced to be killed. Proctor chooses between confessing and sacrificing his own reputation. In this way, he can try to save his wife or he can maintain his secrecy regarding the adultery with Abigail. This whole circumstance is a problem of integrity. John Proctor comes to realize that if he keeps the affair a secret, he will be acting in lack of bravery, betraying Elizabeth. He already wrongs her with Abigail and would be failing to do the unselfish thing. Proctor is a man known for valuing honesty, so he cannot lie by negligence. He has to own up to his secret. When Proctor is in court owning up to the affair, he exclaims, “Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might!—for I thought of her softly, God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat! But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands, I know you must see it now. My wife is innocent, except she know a whore when she see one”(Miller 3.2). John’s confession to the affair leaves his integrity intact, even though it damages his reputation as a moral man. He did this for his wife, showing that he is true to other people other than just himself.

Furthermore, a major aspect of integrity is holding on to what you believe in and not letting it go, staying grounded to your values. Barbara De Angelis sums it up by saying, “Living with integrity means: Not settling for less than what you know you deserve. Asking for what you want and need from others. Speaking your truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. Behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values. Making choices based on what you believe, and not what others believe”(Angelis). Personally, an important and crucial
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meaning of integrity involves sticking to what is right and not letting go of what you think. Speaking the truth and being honest is exceptionally vital. Adding on, Rebecca Nurse from The Crucible stands up for what she believes in and she knows it is right. Rebecca remains strong through the course of the play; for her, doing the right thing is more important than staying alive. As she refuses to confess in Act 4, she states, “Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot” (Miller 4.4). Rebecca Nurse acknowledges that she will not tell a lie. This shows how she sticks to her own moral values, no matter if others try to influence her to do otherwise.

To conclude, the true meaning of integrity is staying true to honesty and not letting go of what is right. In The Crucible, John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse portrayed characters who were devoted to their integrity.