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In the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, the small town of Salem, Massachusetts is plagued with hysteria due to fear over witchcraft. John Proctor begins out as being a character that acts in wrong and deceiving ways. As the play comes to an end in Act IV, he is placed in a situation where he himself is accused of witchcraft. As his character was full of lies throughout the play, now he shows pride and honor for his name and the innocent people hanged through his noble actions when questioned about consorting with the devil.
John Proctor himself did not only see his actions as noble and honorable, but also by some of the people that were closest to him such as his wife Elizabeth Proctor. John starts out in the beginning of the play
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as being portrayed as an unfaithful and lying man. Numerous times his wife Elizabeth asked if he was still committed to their relationship and if he still loved her. Every time his answer was yes, when in reality he was having an affair with Abigail Williams. As witchcraft started to become the hot topic in the town and as a group of girls including Abigail were being accused of witchcraft, he even withheld the truth just so that he could protect his secret affair with Abigail. Throughout the entire story, Elizabeth stayed committed to John and her’s relationship. In Act IV as John is then accused of consorting with the devil, she believes that he is innocent and sees his actions very valiant and noble. Elizabeth depicts what her husband had to go through when she says, “Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay. They say he give them but two words ‘More Weight,’ and died” (Miller 1328). The fact that she depicts in such this way shows how she cared about her husband and even believed that he truly was a good man and cared about his name so much that he took risked his life for it. John Proctor himself fought to try and save both his name and his soul, but in the end he had to sacrifice his soul in order to protect the reputation of his name and what it meant to everyone in his life.
As Judge Danforth was trying to get a confession out of John Proctor for witchcraft Proctor said, “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 my name!” (Miller 1333). John knew that he had committed numerous sins and knew that his soul had committed them, but his name had nothing to do with it. The accusation of witchcraft—a crime that John Proctor did not want connected to his name—would surely destroy what his name had grown to become. All of his achievements and the people who thought fondly of him would now be twisted in the complete opposite direction if he were to confess to consorting with the devil. He decided that he is willing to sacrifice his soul for his name because he only has one name and his name should not deal with the consequences of his lies and wrongdoings but only his soul shall. His refusal to sign the confession shows how he does not want to dishonor those who were innocently hanged while he could escape with nothing. Through his words and actions, John Proctor shows his true respect and character that was sure to be destroyed if he were to sign the confession.
He not only cared about sacrificing his soul, but also not ruining his name that his entire life has been based on and to just throw it away for a crime that he may not have even committed. Witchcraft during the late 17th century and early 18th century left a lasting impact throughout small towns such as Salem, Massachusetts. Arthur Miller portrays a prime example of how devastating witchcraft had on Salem. John Proctor is a character that had an impact from the start of the play. He may not have been seen as a truthful or honest character in the beginning, but as seen in Act IV, he shows actions that could be described as noble and courageous. His reaction to being accused of witchcraft shows his respect for all the innocent victims that were hanged and the importance that his name had within his life.
The Crucible (Argumentative Essay) Is John Proctor a good man? John Proctor, in my opinion, is indeed considered a good man. And the reason why I say this is to inform you that in The Crucible, John faces a lot of conflicts with his wife, the church, and his individuality. The way John Proctor deals with these conflicts defines him as a true good man character, for example Elizabeth (Proctor’s Wife) always knew he was a good man in heart. She would have the courage to stand by Proctor’s side when they were in court “I do not judge you”.
...fess to them Elizabeth” (238). He’s thinking about giving in to the corrupt church to save his own life like everyone else. But when the Judge Danforth asks him to sign his name on a document confessing of witch craft he won’t do it because he explains, “It is my name I cannot have another in my life because I lie and sign myself to lies. Proctor finally stands up for what’s right and he shows that he won’t taint his name in order to save his own life. So they send him to be hung but he dies with his honor and his integrity.
The Crucible is a famous play written by Arthur Miller. This play centers around the witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. In Act II, Abigail and her friends accuse several innocent people of witchcraft. Once they leave the court, Reverend Hale goes to John Proctor’s house to inform Elizabeth Proctor that people in the court have mentioned her name. Then officials of the court, Herrick and Cheever, arrive at the Proctor’s house. They claim to have a warrant for Elizabeth’s arrest because the court declares she practices witchcraft. After, Herrick and Cheever take Elizabeth to jail. Injustice in Act II prevails because of the inability to see the truth. Reverend Hale and John Proctor illuminate the theme that closed-mindedness
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is set in Salem in a Puritan community. John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale, Reverend Paris, and Abigail are the main characters. The book is about witchcraft or what the town thinks is witchcraft. John Proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his temper.
John Proctor is a good man. He is a puritan, a husband, a citizen, and an all around valuable member of the community. All of this is represented by his name. The name of John Proctor could be considered his most prized possession. It is his most priceless asset. Proctor is very strong-willed and caring. He does not set out with any intentions of hurting anyone. He is a farmer and village commoner who is faced with incredible inner turmoil. He has committed adultery and had absolutely no intentions of joining in the witch trials. After his wife got involved and eventually was set free due to the fact that she was pregnant, he feels that he can't sit back and accept what is happening to the town. John Proctor is a good and noble man and because of this he believes that he can't be hanged and die a martyr when he has this sin blooming over him every waking moment.
John Proctor: “God in heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor”. John is a man of strong moral beliefs, concerned only for the safety of his family and personal welfare. He cares of nothing for the beliefs of any of the other people in the town and what his supervisor which is the Reverend, thinks either. After trying to avoid involvement in the witch trials he is later prosecuted for witchery and sentenced to hang. John trys to avoid any involvement in the Salem witch trials. His reason for doing so is to protect his image because he is afraid he will be committed of adultery with Abigail Williams. Following these events he trys to save everyone’s lives by admitting to this horrible offense adultery and ends up losing the trial along with his life. He did have a chance to live but instead of signing away his name and his soul to keep his life, he wanted to die honorably with his friends not without a name, a soul, and with guilt. “John Proctors decision to die is reasonable and believable”. Reverend Parris, the Salem minister and Proctors immediate supervisor, which says “ there is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning.” “The church in theocratic Salem is identical with the state and the community and will surely crumble if unquestioning obedience falters in the least.” Proctor, on the other hand, “has come to regard his self as a king of fraud,” as long as he remains obedient to an authority which he cannot respect.
John Proctor is portrayed throughout the play to be a man who has high moral values that he must abide by. He can spot hypocrisy in others easily and judges himself no less harshly. Elizabeth Proctor says to him in the second act:
To admit to adultery takes integrity. To tell the truth no matter what the consequences takes integrity. To stay true to one's morals and be able to accept any punishments to keep one’s integrity, is a genuine trait. During the Salem witch trials many were unable to keep their integrity, but there were some who did. The Crucible written by Arthur Miller takes place during the Salem witch trials, when many people were forced to lie in order to live. John Proctor is looked at in the play as an adulterer, and sinful man. Nevertheless, John Proctor's public and private selves differ dramatically, but overall Mr. Proctor is truly a honest and integrity filled man.
The Crucible is a novel based on the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, written by Arthur Miller. The Crucible demonstrates forbidden temptation between John Proctor and Abigail Williams, honor and dishonor in the town of Salem, ruthless revenge, and the strive for high social status. The narrative style of this play is standard 1950s everyday language. The Crucible is set in a theocratic society of Puritanism in 1692.
Arthur Miller’s dramatic play The Crucible, takes place during 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. The setting is important because it takes place during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. The play begins with the town’s girls, led by Abigail Williams, gathering in the forest and starting to dance around a fire, chanting. Reverend Parris catches them dancing, sending the girls into a panic and causing two of the girls to go into a coma-like state. The townspeople spread rumors that there are witches lurking throughout the the town that have put the girls under their spells. This causes Reverend Parris to send for Reverend Hale, an expert in witchcraft and the devil's work, who hopes to rid the town of all witchcraft. John Proctor, a local farmer, asks Abigail to stop accusing innocent people and start telling the truth about what happened in the forest. Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor's wife, excused Abigail from their house because she found out about an affair between Abigail and John. She lies to the court when she is asked about John’s affair to save him from any punishment. In doing so, they were both sent to jail for witchcraft because they knew she had lied. Abigail and the girls continued to lie about people in the town being witches, causing many innocent people to be killed, including John Proctor. Miller shows the dangers of scapegoating when lies that are regarded as the truth, and can kill innocent characters.
This reveals that the lies and deceit told throughout the play drive the plot, as characters, such as Elizabeth and John Proctor, in the play are significantly affected by the accusations made against them. This is revealed, as Proctor is too concerned with his reputation to confess his affair with Abigail and end the witch trials. Throughout the play, the imagery of God and the Devil is directly tied in with lies and deceit. The Crucible is set in a Puritan theocratic society, where every citizen is concerned with religious piety and purity.
The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. Initially, it was known as The Chronicles of Sarah Good. The Crucible was set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. It talks of McCarthyism that happened in the late 1600’s whereby the general public and people like Arthur Miller were tried and persecuted. The Crucible exemplifies persecutions during the Salem Witch Trials. The people were convicted and hung without any tangible proof of committing any crime. Persecutions were the order of the day. When a finger was pointed at any individual as a witch, the Deputy Governor Danforth never looked for evidence against them or evidence that incriminated them; he ordered them to be hanged. This can be seen through his words “Hang them high over the town! Who weeps for those, weeps for corruption!” (1273), the people were persecuted aimlessly. The four main characters in the play, John Proctor, Abigail Adams, Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris, are caught in the middle of the witchcraft panic in the religious Salem, Massachusetts in late 1690’s. Persecution is the most important theme in the Crucible, the leaders and citizens of Salem attacks and persecutes one of their own without any tangible evidence against them.
The first trait of a tragic hero is having noble background where a character in the beginning of a story or before a story has or had wealthyness or nobility. This Trait isn't directly followed by John Proctor, John doesn’t start as a noble, wealthy, honest, or morally sound as a tragic hero should. ”Proctor, respected and even feared in salem, has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud.”(pg 19) However, John is a well respected by the people in salem and has a good name in the village, therefore he has a noble background.
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.
In the play John Proctor is portrayed as a powerful man that is honest and many people looked up to him. He is a good man and is always right to the point. After he committed adultery many people lost trust in him especially his wife. Once witchcraft start to spread it was only getting worse for him because of Abigail, the girl he committed adultery with. He was starting to be accused of witchcraft and almost everyone turned away from him. A lot of people started accusing him of witchcraft because he did not attend church and he did not know all of the commandments. Almost everyone was against him at the end of the play. John Proctor historically was just a normal farmer who was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Proctor had one of the biggest farms in Salem Village according to the Virginia.edu and also owned a local tavern. He is viewed as a man of power and respect.