...those considered blasphemous as witches. Through The Crucible, Arthur Miller describes the irrational behaviour of people in “all classes”(Miller 7) from Salem, Massachusetts during this time of misdemeanor. Many characters throughout the play incriminate others due to bitterness and jealousy. For instance, Abigail indicted her former lover, John Proctor’s, wife. Ultimately the corrupted men and women of Salem reached their goal of hanging the pure, which leads to hysteria amongst the townsfolk. Although John Proctor begins the play as an ambivalent and uncertain man, who is paralyzed...
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...Divya Kumar Mr. Kirley ENG3U1-05 November.11.2015. The Crucible: Is John Proctor truly a tragic hero? A tragic hero is a person with admirable qualities yet they have a tragic flaw that leads them to their downfall. In Miller’s play “The Crucible,” the protagonist, John Proctor, is a tragic hero known for his good reputation yet commits adultery with Abigail thus making it a tragic flaw that leads to his death. John Proctor is a tragic hero because he is a well-mannered person that has a good reputation. John strongly believes in Elizabeth’s good morals by proving his honesty and bond towards Elizabeth and speaks up for her as he tries to get her and his friends’ wives out of jail. He tells Danforth...
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...quote from Oscar Wilde, a playwright and novelist speaking about the main character, in his book “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” The definition of a tragic hero involves a literary character who makes an error that leads to their own destruction, but eventually changes for the better. John Proctor is no hero, but a tragic hero. John is considered a tragic hero due to a tragic flaw, his free choice, and the punishment he receives which exceeds his crime. Behind every beauty there is a flaw, leading to the definition of John Proctor. John Proctor is a typical man during the time of the Crucible with a wife and three kids. He is a decent Christian and a hard worker. His flaws are his lust and unwillingness to forgive himself. Proctors lusts of Abigail which leads to an affair between the two, and leaves Abigail broken hearted to be left by Proctor, causes a large amount of trouble in the story. This lust causes many troubles including the other hamartia of Proctor not able to forgive himself. This lust for Abigail causes Proctor to have a large weight on his shoulders...
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...John Proctor’s Outstanding Personality The Crucible was a play in 1962 about the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. The trials began after girls started accusing many people of witchcraft. John Proctor and Abigail Williams which is the leader of the girls had an affair. Abigail wanted John’s wife dead so she could be with him, and she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. John Proctor's honest, selfless, and vulnerable ways are revealed in The Crucible. John Proctor is an honest man. For example in the book Proctor states “Mr. Parris discovered them sportin’ in the woods. They were startled and took sick” (Miller 33). John is honest in this quote by telling Reverend Hale about the girls being in the woods doing witchcraft, he was...
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...Arthur Miller’s The Crucible exposes conflicts between the characters and the Christian society of Salem, Massachusetts 1692. The concept of social pressure and rules are used to establish the play. If the common man in Salem is to work proficiently in his surroundings, he must participate in all social activities or he faces the consequences of untrue allegations. Miller uses the character John Proctor as a prime example whose individuality ultimately isolates him from his community. Proctor tries to avoid any involvement in the Salem witch trials. His reason for this attempt is motivated by his past fault of committing adultery with Abigail Williams, who is leading the accusations. As the pressure from his peers grow on him, Proctor must decide whether to save himself, or to die and save Salem. The theme individual v. society exists through the character John Proctor. Proctor is cautious to speak openly due to his affair. He attempts to isolate himself from the first proceedings of the trial by stating to Reverend Hale, “I’ve heard you to be a sensible man Mr. Hale. I hope you’ll leave some of it in Salem.” (Miller 1231). Proctor is trying to cleanse himself entirely of his affair, rather than get involved with the community. Elizabeth, his wife, encourages Proctor to speak out about his knowledge against false accusations against her. He is hesitant and responds, “I know I cannot keep [confessing his crime]. I say I will think on it!” (Miller 1237). Before Proctor can...
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...Witchcraft was a common but hated word in Salem. In the book The Crucible by ‘Arthur Miller, you either had two choices, you admit you have done witchcraft and you don’t get hung, but you wreck your reputation, or you say you didn’t do witchcraft and get hung for it. Since John Proctor’s motivation is keeping his family safe. his decision to admit adultery, establishes a twist by the end of the play. One of the few motivations that John Proctor was, protecting his family and keeping them safe. Elizebeth and there kids meant everything to them. “ My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!” (1071) Proctor’s violent language shows the strength of his feeling for Elizabeth, and hs great deal of respect. John Proctor was eager to risk anything to save his family to keep them from getting harmed. They meant everything to him. John’s will to fight for his family’s safety was a struggle for him, but he risked his own life to keep them safe. John committed adultery with Abigail in the beginning. That choice effected him greatly by having to get involved in court. Also has to force being hung or not. All of this was mostly to protect Elizabeth. ‘..she’ll ruin you with it, I know she will’...
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...November 2014 John Proctor Tragic Hero A tragic hero is one who holds a high status in a community. The protagonist habitually faces a supernatural force of misfortune in which they conquer and gain admiration from the audience. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor was not the ordinary resident living in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. Salem during this time period embodies pure unintelligence. The community faced ruthless weather, deceased crops, and sickness. They didn’t know how these dreadful happenings arose. The only knowledge they had came from books, which did not contain the solutions for their troubles. The idea of witchcraft was proposed, and with this being the only possible...
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...Fear can lead good people to do horrific acts, especially when religion is involved. For example, in the play The Crucible the girls who was following Abigail knew dancing was considered in Salem as an act of the devil. When they got caught dancing in the forest, they began to think about their punishments in this case, were whippens, jail, or even worse death. They decided to keep following Abigail's lead and began to claim that the devil and these images of the people from Salem tried to make them do horrible things. Soon Abigail started to take advantage of this power and used it for evil. Millers play The Crucible shows us how vengeance and land can determine weather some one lives or dies. It also shows how many accusations can lead...
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...demonstrates this through his book The Crucible. The Crucible demonstrates a theme that when revenge determines justice, havoc ensues; this theme is displayed through the allegations that Abigail Williams makes against John and Elizabeth Proctor, and their servant Mary Warren, as well as through the Putnams’ willingness to implicate their neighbors. Abigail Williams is a narcissistic and manipulative character that is driven by her obsession with John Proctor. Henceforth, she tries to get...
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...The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, depicts the story of the Salem witch hunt and the chaos it caused. One of the main characters is John Proctor. Proctor is put through many life-changing decisions. In many cases, a decision he made in one situation led to another problem. John Proctor is the tragic hero of this story. If John Proctor was not such an admirable character, he probably would not have been in the massive mess he was. Proctor made a very humanly mistake in the beginning. In considering his wife's sickness and loneliness, he looked to Abigail. Proctor's passion and sexuality no doubt frightened Elizabeth. He probably felt rebuffed and disappointed when she did not or could not return the expressions of love from him. Abigail most likely adored him because of his strength and honesty. "Gah! I'd almost forgot how strong you are, John Proctor" (21)! With this statement, Abigail shows that she never really forgot about him. He was always running threw her mind. She thought he would still be into her too. After his affair with Abigail, he made an even bigger mistake. He rejected Abigail and went back to his wife, without thinking what Elizabeth might due in response. Abigail sought vengeance. Cheever: ...I have a warrant for your wife. Proctor: Who charged her? Cheever: Why, Abigail Williams charged her. Proctor: On what proof, what proof (22-23)? Proctor had eventually figured Abigail would do something like this. This quotation shows that...
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...The Crucible was a story with a wide range of characters. Not only appearance wise but, with different personalities. Many characters in this play thought differently from one and other. That is why this book had a few "twists and turns" to the story. In my profiles, I will display many different characters and their different mentality. First I will start with Mr. John Proctor, a.k.a. "shoulder checker". John Proctor had always things on his mind. People were always on his mind. John Proctor was always looking out for his mistakes or errors, not because he was picky, but his enemies and competition were. John Proctor was always think out the final result of a situation, like when Betty was "spiritually reposed" early in the book (Act I, pages 6-12). John Proctor did not care about as Betty as much as the final opinion that the town would have on Proctor's "white and pure" name. Much can be said about Proctor's giving and understanding, but I don't want to waste that line. Proctor's caring and willing to give people thanks was not his best feature. Proctor was always thing about him, himself and no one else, except the final outcome of the whole situation. Take for example the fellow that wanted to get some tree off Proctor's land. Even though Proctor had probably no knowledge of the trees on his land, he still wanted a piece of the pie. Proctor wanted always money. He was money hungry and cheap. Basically Proctor was a would be if he could be. Proctor was always...
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...may be, yet in reality a courtroom is not pure, but laden with injustice. The courtroom in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, his recreation of the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts, is synonymous. The theocratic court reviews cases regarding witchcraft brought to the gavel by a group of hormonal teenage girls, who have been willing the court to arrest and execute whom they see fit. This literal courtroom is allegorical to the interactions of Senator McCarthy with potential traitors during the 1950’s. As the girls of Salem exploit the fears of their community, McCarthy capitalized on the fear of the entire U.S. nation: Communism. McCarthy’s tactics and actions were highlighted in a CBS broadcasting led by Edward R. Murrow titled, “We Will Not Walk in Fear”. The broadcast was received by the U.S. in 1954 during the Cold War, a decade dubbed ‘The Red Scare’. While the empowered teens of Salem and McCarthy were daunting, their injustices were matched by John Proctor and Edward R. Murrow, respectively. Proctor and Murrow fought against the false accusations and biased plaintiffs to stop the injustice posed. Proctor and Murrow combat their oppressors on the hollow claims made. Proctor is roped in to the Salem courts when his wife is accused. He points out to the judges that “so many of these women have lived so long with such upright reputation” (Miller 84). Proctor’s aim in convincing the court is so that “[he] would free [his] wife” (83). His lack of participation in the court...
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...John Proctor, a symbol of strength in Salem, was a prideful man. Proctor displayed himself as a righteous man who worked hard, raised wholesome children, and followed the Lord’s laws. What the community of Salem didn’t see was the ongoing internal battle Proctor endured on a daily basis. “He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his own vision of decent conduct,” (Miller 18). Proctor committed the act of adultery with Abigail Williams, which haunted him daily. This slip of moral judgment constituted Proctor as a tragic hero. Proctor was a tragic hero because he made a flaw of judgment, his anagnorisis, and his unfair punishment. John Proctor betrayed his wife, a fact that bothered his conscience...
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...In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible (1953), Abigail Williams is depicted as a metaphorical witch as she lies her way through the literal witch hunt taking place in Salem, Massachusetts. The witch hunt was brought about by Abigail and her shenanigans with her friends as they do things that the Puritans believed were evidence of witchcraft. We learn later in the story that among Abigail’s mistakes is the fact that she was involved in John Proctor’s affair. So when the court begins investigating witchcraft within Salem, Abigail has to save herself. She begins telling lie after lie and finds herself in so deep that she sees an opportunity to have John all to herself by getting his wife executed, which she tries, but doesn’t succeed. As the play comes...
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...The Crucible Critical Analysis Shakespeare believes that a tragic hero has potential for greatness, but is ultimately destined to fail. The character falls from greatness because of their ‘tragic flaw’. In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, the protagonist John Proctor is portrayed as the tragic hero. He fits this description for a number of reasons. His tragic flaw or Achilles heel, like many other tragic heroes is his pride. Compounded with conflicts with circumstances, this tragic flaw leads to Proctor’s loss of life and arguably the loss of his eternal life as well. One of the major requirements to being a Shakespearean tragic hero includes having a tragic flaw. Proctor places a great deal of importance on his pride or what he considers dignity and self-respect. He lets pride overshadow his life and actions. He would rather maintain his pride or die. As the play nears its end in Act Four, it shows that he would rather give up his life, rather than post his fake confession on the church doors for the public to see. He states, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life... How may I live without my name? I have given my soul; Leave me my name!” (Miller, 133). John is too prideful and unwilling to stain his reputation. He prefers to die rather than have his name stained because of a fake confession. He wants to leave his name intact for his family. Another example of this is illustrated in Act Two, where Elizabeth urges Proctor to go...
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