...Hannah Rogers 10/26/15 Character Analysis of John Proctor Arthur Miller’s The Crucible has a variety of characters that are hard to connect with. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the late 17th century. Puritans made up most of the population in the area, and their court systems were based on their religion and what they believed God would want them to do. They were particularly against witchcraft, and believed that those who practiced it should be put to death. However, a seventeenyearold girl named Abigail Williams had been practicing witchcraft with her friends in the woods, and basically got caught. To cover up the situation she accuses innocent people in the village of doing it in such a way it made the judges believe she was seeing the devil with them, which saved herself from trial. John Proctor though, is no fool. Once he makes this clear to Abigail, she decides to accuse his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, of witchcraft out of jealousy because at one point she and John had a brief affair, and she felt that Elizabeth got in the way of their love. John Proctor is strong though, and will stand up for what he believes in many times throughout the story. John Proctor was pious, fallible, and a man of integrityho valued having an w honorable name in the community. He was a farmer and dedicated his time to hard work. However, he is a human which means that he made mistakes. When Elizabeth Proctor saw signs that he might fancy Abigail...
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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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...mother figure in her life she did not have much love as child therefore she found it somewhere with someone else being John Proctor...
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...Inflated ego a feeling, deep pleasure, or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements. Proctors inflated ego was why he decided to hang instead of confess to witchcraft. Towards the end of Act 4 of The Crucible John started to realize how much his name meant to him and how he couldn't confess to something that was not true. Proctor came clean to Danforth by not signing his name. “No, It is not the same! What others say and what i sign to is not the same!” This quote by John Proctor shows that he was not willing to allow the court to put his signature on the front doors of the church saying he confessed to witchcraft. What the civilians though of him did not matter to him as much as how he viewed himself. At the end of Act four Proctor...
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...as a tragic hero.The tragic hero in this story is John Proctor. This is because John displays all the qualities of being a tragic hero, such as a tragic flaw. Tragic heroes are supposed to arouse pity and fear in the reader or audience. John Proctor shows all qualities which are: mighty figure, reversal of fortune, Uncommon suffering, recognizes the consequences of his actions, and his plight ennobles the reader. John Proctor is a mighty figure because he had helped to build the church. In the Book John had said “I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door,” (Miller 32). This shows how, in the theocracy the live in, which is a government run by religion, John would be a mighty figure. It also shows how it leads to his downfall, and his recognizing of his actions. This is because he is so full of pride that he thinks no one will suspect him, and he can get away with adultery. Also in the book John says “ How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name,” (Miller 62). This shows how John has recognized his mistakes, and is recognizing...
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...only cared about his reputation. Then there was judge Danforth who was worried that he would lose his power in the court. There was also John Proctor who was worried that the church would use him as an example. Reverend Parris was a man who only cared about his reputation and what was the best for him. When his niece was dancing in the woods she collapsed and fainted, when he got her back to their house all he cared about is what would happen to him. Parris doing this shows that he is not worried about his niece, all he did was think what could happen to him if this got out. Another example is he did not tell the court about the girls dancing. Parris kept this information from the court so it wouldn’t affect him in a negative way. The only reason he didn’t give this information to help the court was to help himself. Reverend Parris wasn’t the only person to do things to keep their reputation, there was also judge Danforth. Judge Danforth had been in the high council for over 30 years and the only way to stay in the high council that long is a good reputation. He was scared that if he hang all of these people, and they ended up finding...
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...In spite of his sins, John Proctor is a proud man who cares about preserving his reputation and self image. After ripping up his confession to being a witch, Proctor exclaims “ How may I live without my name! I have given you my soul; leave me my name.” Proctor cannot bear to live the rest of his life as a lie, as it would ruin his opinion of himself as a good person. Also, the judge threatens to hang John’s confession on the door of the church, which John does not want as it would diminish his reputation as a well respected man in the community. Many of John’s actions are motivated by his pride. John Proctor is also a man with a great internal conflict: his guilty conscience. Although he was a good man, he could not forgive himself for his sins. In an argument with his wife Elizabeth, John retorts “ I see now your spirit twists around the single error of my life [ adultery], and I will never tear it free!” In this quote, John is accusing Elizabeth of not being able to forgive him, but in actuality, he cannot forgive himself. Throughout the story, he struggles to come to terms with what he...
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...In The Crucible, some people’s reputation seem to be more important to them. John Proctor, Abigail WIlliams, and Reverend Parris worry more about their reputation than about family and lives. Proctor is more worried about his good name and is scared to confess his affair with Abigail. Reverend Parris is worried about about his job and image than his daughter's sickness. Judge Danforth worries about his good name, like John, than about the people’s lives. Abby is one of the girls accusing people of witchcraft. She cares more about her importance and reputation in the community that she does not care that she is the reason the lives of people, who were accused, are being taken. In The Crucible, the characters make it clear that reputation and importance is more important than family and life....
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...Maintaining a clean reputation is critical to characters in The Crucible. Keeping a good name is most important to John Proctor and Abigail Williams. John Proctor does everything in his power to keep his reputation the way it is. The village views John Proctor as an honest and dependable man. John preserves his name in the village by lying in court and standing up for himself. In the final act, Proctor signs a document stating that he committed adultery but is too embarrassed to have it nailed to the church. He is truly frustrated as he defends his name: “How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 1333). John’s bravery shows as he signs his name. John is giving the judge the power to destroy by signing...
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...John Proctor and I “I say, God is dead!” John Proctor states to a shocked courtroom in The Crucible. John Proctor is being accused in the court for witchcraft. John Proctor is a 35 year old man living in Salem. Although a Puritan man, John does not regularly attend church. John Proctor is accused of witchcraft and then hung. John Proctor and I share common traits such as staying respecful, being stubborn, and remaining an outcast. First, Just like John Proctor, we both show how we are respectful. In The Crucible, John Proctor always stays respectful. Even While being accused of witchcraft, he is never rude. In the courtroom no matter how intolerant any of the judges were he never acted out. Just like John, I tend to stay respectful to those around me. Even if someone says something that I Disagree with, I will state my opinion as...
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...Research Analysis over Abigail Williams Arthur Miller said in an interview once, “ I took creative license with her character to make the connection between sexuality and politics more dramatic,” (Shmoop). This is one of the reasons Arthur Miller made Abigail Williams in The Crucible so different compared to the real Abigail. Abigail Williams was an 11-year -old girl who lived in Salem and worked for the Proctor family, John and Elizabeth, before the time of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Before the trails even started, Abigail and her cousin, Betty Parris, got into fortune telling their future like who they would marry and what their social status would be. After a while they got the other girls in town to start playing their fortune telling...
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...Salem is a place where girls have no freedom to do what they want and have to live as slaves."I hate Salem and I don't want to live in a place where girls are controlled and have no freedom what so ever".I, and the girls were in the forest were practising witchcraft with Tituba. We all had a choice to wish something we desired.I wished for John proctor to leave his wife Elizabeth and live for me.But I feel really guilty for what I have done so this is why I'm writing this. All families in Salem and the people who gave their lives for my stupid selfishness. Please forgive me, I only thought of myself and no one else this is the main cause for all the incidents that happened in Salem.My actions can't be forgiven but please understand that I did all this because I didn't want to get caught for conjuring spirits and to live with John.But John isn't listening to what I'm trying to tell him so this is why I'm gonna write all my feelings towards him now....
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...In a character analysis, the writer explains how a character and his or her conflict(s) helps readers understand a major theme. Whether it is a major or minor character, either one can illustrate important key themes. In a short story, novel, poem, play, etc., based on a character’s words, thoughts, and actions, one can comprehend their value, and the strengths and weaknesses of their personality. In The Crucible, Miller, Arthur. John Proctor, the play’s tragic hero and a man that lived during the Salem witch trials of 1632 through 1962, is a farmer and tavern keeper living in Massachusetts. John Proctor, known to be an honest, upright, and blunt spoken man is a kind soul that lacks the intention of forgiving his evil sin of adultery with Abigail Williams. Trapped in an unbreakable belief due to his affair, John Proctor believes he damaged the relationship with not only his wife, but with the Man, he praises mostly, God. Battling with his secrets, John must soon reveal to the city and lose...
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...Literary Analysis: A Character from The Crucible By looking at The Crucible by Arthur Miller, one can infer that the character, John Proctor, reveals the theme of reputation and integrity. These are important because refusing to lie to protect one’s reputation can stop hysteria from spreading. In The Crucible, John Proctor was more worried about his reputation for his family to live with than he was concerned with his own life. Basically, the idea of John Proctor protecting his reputation motivates him to deny that witchcraft exists in the village. Proctor had stated his worry by saying, “The town is mumbling witchcraft” (1.1.511-512). Proctor says this in reference to Reverend Hale walking through town with a stack of books for researching...
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...named Tituba. After this rumors of witchcraft fill the town. Then the wicked Abigail starts claiming she saw townsfolk consorting with the devil. One of the people she denounces Elizabeth Proctor wife of John Proctor who once had sexual relations with Abigail. Throughout the play Mary Warren appears to be the weak one and at first wants to confess to the activities in the woods, but in Act 2 Mary Warren is believed to be helping Abigail...
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