...John Proctor from the beginning of this play was a man who was well respected and trusted in Salem. “I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door,” Proctor says on p.54 further shows his loyalty and connection with the village and the community. However, as the play goes on and the mess of accusations (especially the accusation of his wife) begins to unravel John Proctor himself begins to unravel. Through his actions, he is serving a social cause. Sacrificing himself in order to save others and to stage a protest against his persecutors. He is driven by the impulse to preserve his integrity, and by the need to expiate his sins of adultery with Abigail Williams. Proctor is faced with a dilemma he can save his life if he confesses and betrays others, or he can sacrifice his life to his ideals....
Words: 456 - Pages: 2
...John Proctor’s act is one that defines the word believable. The following quotes emanate the very understanding of why his actions are understood as credible to being honest and truthful. John Proctor, a good Christian man, is being sent to hang for two crimes: lechery and witchcraft. His only sin is that he lusted, but the crime of witchcraft isn’t a sin of his. Though he is to die for two crimes, he could have only died for one. He ripped up his one way out of witchcraft, which is the beginning of so many questions. Did he really need to die for two if he could prevent the one? The answer may never be truly justified, but the answers found here will prove that he was right in his mind to hang with his head held high. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible gives plenty of evidence to show that this deduction is correct, that John Proctor was believable. Proctor’s first authentic line is when he says to Elizabeth, “I have been thinking I would confess to them, Elizabeth. What say you? If I give them that” (Act IV. 465-468)? Here, he questions himself inside the lines. The quote shows that this is him in the process of rationalizing what he could possibly do to save himself. Someone who’s about to make a life-changing decision, such as one’s hanging, would question...
Words: 497 - Pages: 2
...If someone makes sacrifices, how can they be selfish? In the story “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams makes many sacrifices that are not all for the best. She sacrifices the lives of many people in her town for herself. She also makes her lover, John Proctor, sacrifice his time with his sick wife. Abigail sacrifices the freedom of her fellow townspeople. All those actions made by Abigail Williams can only point to one thing, a selfish person. Abigail Williams convinces a town that many people are bewitched. She proceeds to lie on her uncle’s slave Tituba. “She sends her spirits on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer!” (Miller 41). Abigail tells her uncle that Tituba has possessed her with the devil to save herself. That leads to Abigail telling the story that she seen many townspeople walking with the devil. The people she named were took to court and hung. Abigail’s lover, John Proctor, has a wife that was sickly. When the affair between John and Abigail took place, she...
Words: 481 - Pages: 2
...Saint Elizabeth Proctor; Faithful Executioner Elizabeth Proctor’s faithfulness to the people she loves, despite betrayal and pain, allows her to sacrifice her unfaltering candor, the thing that she believes will bring her to salvation and that is an ingrained part of her identity, in order to try and save her husband; but it will be their doom. Elizabeth Proctor may be one of the most, if not the most morally pure people within The Crucible. She is honest to a fault, faithful, and kind, simply because she believes it is right. Unfortunately, the things that make her so moral are the things that will destroy her. As the play climaxes, John is desperately trying to save his wife from hanging and stop Salem’s hysterical madness. He has admitted...
Words: 300 - Pages: 2
...No, I do not believe that John Proctor’s design to hang instead of admitting that he was consorting with the devil is an act of excessive pride or stubbornness. I instead believe that John Proctor is the tragic hero of the Crucible and that his decision to choose principle over self preservation was an honorable act with the goal of affirming his goodness before God. In the second act of the Crucible, the audience first meets the character of John Proctor while he is in his home with his wife Elizabeth. The reader’s initial reaction of Proctor is that he is a benevolent husband as he states “I mean to please you Elizabeth” (50) and is otherwise kind and respectful towards his wife. However, as the act progresses, the reader comes to find out...
Words: 1021 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 1085 - Pages: 5
...John Proctor sacrifices his reputation in order to save his wife and stop the court proceedings. Then again, there are really two ways of having a reputation. The first is to follow the rules, which is what John Proctor gives up by admitting he committed adultery. The second is to have integrity by being honest. John Proctor is known as a good man who is fair and hard worker. He is an honest man who regrets breaking his marriage vows with Abigail (also accused of witchcraft). It is at the end of the play (The Crucible) when John Proctor is most honorable. Even though he has agreed to admit witchcraft, he refuses to name any other people of his community. He also tears up the paper he has signed admitting witchcraft when he learns that the...
Words: 285 - Pages: 2
...Joshua Smelser Professor Lee Hinds Composition 2 September, 10, 2012 Fear As a Living Person In the movie, The Crucible, inspired by Aurther Miller and directed by Nicholas Hytner, fear is a subtle but important aspect in the movie. In fact, if fear was an actor in the film, it would be the lead character, leading to deaths, lies, and betrayal. Now the movie starts off with the towns teenage girls dancing in the woods, conjuring up spells to make boys like them. As they dance around, some naked, reverend Paris a man with power in a city of puritans discovers the girls. This would be the first time fear appears in the movie. Out of fear the girls scatter to avoid getting in trouble with the reverend. All but two girls get away, the reverend’s daughter Betty, and his niece Abigail. After this scene fear gets its biggest part in the movie. Betty falls into a coma nothing can wake her. The town including her father believes that the devil has got hold of her. I believe that Betty is just scared to get in trouble, and there are pieces of evidence that prove it. First off through the entire movie all the girls of the town are lying that they can see the devil. Why would this be untrue for this small girl? Second during church Abigail and the girls march up to Betty’s room and explain to her that everything is ok, her father knows and is not angry. Remarkably she wakes and says she wants her mom. If Betty was truly possessed I am sure she would not wake at the first instance...
Words: 974 - Pages: 4
...Proctor was the flawed hero of the Salem witch trials, his condemnation of ‘secular’ decisions and frustrating fabrications resulted, in the end of unruly executions and the revealing of concealed truths. Foremost, in most communities the government is the cornerstone which underpins morality and eliminates hysteria; consequently, the theocracy operating in Salem further encouraged the debacle. Judge Danforth’s fear tainted his proceedings; he did not interrogate Abigail, which allowed him to remain ‘unafflicted’ and Abigail to continue her demonstrations. In light of this situation, Proctor’s moral uprightness coerced him to criticise the oppressive regime. Foremost when his wife was incarcerated, Proctor did not remain silenced. He realised, his salacious slip up underpinned her arrest and would cause her execution. Consequently, Proctor summoned courage- but his courage was like a diamond very brilliant and unchanged by fire. He did not allow for Abigail's intimidation to unravel his ethical ideals, he unwaveringly advocated his wife’s innocence and accused Abigail of sporting; despite the risk of being charged with contempt of the...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
...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...
Words: 690 - Pages: 3
...John Proctor as a Tragic Hero In The Crucible, John Proctor is an example of someone who would rather live and end his life with pride rather than live with the humiliation. John is portrayed as a man with good intentions and morals, from the beginning to the end of the play he managed to stick with how he felt, make sacrifices for his wife to prove he loved her, and stay true to himself. Although, in the beginning of the play he cheated on his wife and struggles to win back her forgiveness he did everything he could, so he could gain redemption from her again. In the beginning of The Crucible John Proctor had an affair, the girl he had an affair with, Abigail, struggles to tell John that she still loves him and that they love each other,...
Words: 626 - Pages: 3
...Crucible/Central park five In The Crucible and Central Park Five people are being wrongly accused to either death or life ruining situations. In the crucible there is a breakout of witchcraft and people are losing their lives. Also their is an affair between John Proctor and Abigail. In the Central Park five innocent boys and men are accused of rape and assault. In the play the crucible by Arthur Miller shows that a hero is based on bravery, courage, and being kind which John Proctor and Reverend Hale show throughout the story. A hero in the crucible is John Proctor although he is more of a tragic hero he is still a hero. “A man may think god sleeps, but god sees everything, I know it now. I beg you sir,I beg you see- her what she is… 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” (act 3). The character trait being shown is his honesty and bravery to tell the truth even though he did wrong. Saying this is heroic because he knows saying this is going to hurt him but it shows his bravery. This is a sign of bravery and shows his personality throughout the story. Another hero is Reverend Hale even though throughout the story...
Words: 558 - Pages: 3
...Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” is about the mass hysteria of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony around 1692. The conflict arose after many young girls went around accusing people of witchcraft. As fingers were pointed and accusations were made, many people were put on trial and hanged to death. One of the characters in the play who is put on trial is John Proctor. Proctor is a highly respected individual who is proud of his good name. As the story of the play develops, secrets of John's past are leaked and threaten to ruin his reputation. However, Proctor refuses to lose his integrity. To combat the accusations made against him, Proctor displays characteristics of honesty, bravery, and dignity....
Words: 605 - Pages: 3
...In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, innocent people are hung because the citizens of Salem avidly protect or improve their reputation. John Proctor displayed his blackened, but courageous reputation through sinful actions and sharp witted words during exchanges of towns members about witchcraft. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, innocent people are hanged because the citizens of Salem avidly protect or improve their reputation. In the early pages of the book, Thomas Putnam subtly accuses Proctor of being overly worried about the witchcraft occurring when he hadn’t been “at Sabbath meeting since snow flew.” In a town that is so religiously based as to not allow dancing, the comment alerts the reader that Proctor is considered a black sheep amongst...
Words: 691 - Pages: 3
...quote can be applied to the protagonist, John Proctor who shows honor when he confesses of being an adulterer and chooses to hang with his friends. Primarily, John Proctor is a noble man when he spills out to the court that he has cheated on his wife with Abigail. In front of the court officials and main characters as witnesses, he says, “She thinks...
Words: 831 - Pages: 4
