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Recommended: Characterisation in the crucible

A virtuous upbringing does not promise a virtuous death, but through integrity past misdeeds can be forgiven. In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, the town of Salem, Massachusetts, in an uproar, stages a witch hunt spearheaded by a band of young girls attempting to use lies to avoid punishment themselves. John Proctor, a valued member of the Puritan community, battles with himself to do good. Proctor, a tragic hero, hosts the major flaw of lust, which leads to his downfall. Miller reveals early on in the play Proctor's infidelity, the first step towards his downfall. However, John Proctor redeems himself by sacrificing his reputation in court in an attempt to save his wife and friends from the gallows. Proctor refuses to lie by confessing to witchcraft, thus retaining his last shred of dignity. Though fault riddled Proctor's flaws lead to his downfall, his refusal to lie in order to save himself displays his heroic nature.
From the beginning of the play Miller establishes that John Proctor committed adultery. Abigail Williams confronts Proctor by saying, "I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near" [21]. While Elizabeth lay bedridden, Proctor stages an affair with Abigail. Proctor's unchecked desire for women leads him to infidelity and sets the stage for his downfall. Enamored by the attention Proctor paid her, Abigail clings to the hope that he will love her. This drives her to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft, with the intention of replacing Elizabeth's place by Proctor's side. Proctors' lack of foresight results in Abigail leading a band of girls on a wild spree of accusations that ruins the lives of innocent men and women. His failure to remain faithful to hi...

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...sing to bend to the will of an unjust society.
Miller depicts John Proctor as a tragic hero; a hero ruined by his unbridled lust. Nevertheless, Proctor redeems himself by offering his own reputation in exchange for the denouncement of Abigail's unsavory and vengeful motivation. He refuses to make false confessions and accuse others of witchcraft, choosing instead to take his guilt to the grave. Proctor pays for his adultery by choosing to die rather than live a life speared with shame. Proctor's tragic flaw undermines him, resulting in his fall from high esteem to a dishonorable death. However, Proctor's refusal to allow his sins to result in the death of his wife and neighbors show his valiant nature. Proctor's attempts to right the trouble his flaws caused vindicates his character and establishes him as a hero who put the needs of the community before his own.

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