...A confession is a formal statement admitting that one is guilty of a crime. Confessions are also made in order to stray from guilt and to make things right. Just like how John Proctor, A middle aged farmer In The Crucible by playwright Arthur Miller, confesses his sins in order to bring justice and make peace. In the play, John Proctor is connected with Abigail Williams, a teenage girl who is sought out to win Proctor for herself after committing lechery with him. His involvement with her leads him to have to make confessions which will influence him in many ways. Throughout the play John Proctor confesses to Elizabeth, his wife, about committing adultery, to the court for committing lechery and, to Danforth about his involvement in witchcraft...
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...Playwright Arthur Miller uses The Crucible to exhibit the theme of protectiveness of one’s reputation and self-image through his character John Proctor. In the play, John Proctors battle to be morally right and his affair with Abigail Williams essentially caused him a great deal of confusion. Proctor ultimately confessed, but was too enveloped in his pride so he refused to have his confession hung up on the church doors. His own refusal to let the reputation he built go to waste is what caused his death and destroyed his reputation. Early in the play, Elizabeth knew about Proctor’s affair with Abigail. Elizabeth’s cold and distant attitude towards Proctor after his affair caused him an even greater struggle. As Proctor pleads for forgiveness in Act 4, Elizabeth says, “John, it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you'll not forgive yourself.” Proctor was so wrapped up in his wife’s view of him that he was not focusing on how he viewed himself. He could not fathom the looks his wife and he would receive if he confessed of his affair. How was he to expect others to forgive him for his wrong doings if he could not forgive himself?...
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...Unconditional John Proctor, the protagonist of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, risks everything due to loving two different women. As the play starts readers find out that John is having an affair with the town tart, Abigail Williams. He does not believe in the idea of witchcraft. Proctor is very selfish about the affair with Abigail and states to judge Danforth “A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that.” Many things motivate John to change throughout The Crucible such as Abigail charging his wife with witchcraft and Elizabeth becoming pregnant. John ends up risking everything to save his family. John Proctor’s change was motivated by the love for his wife and family. At first, John was not going to admit to having an...
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...In The Crucible, the town of Salem is in a state of hysteria as a group of girls cause many citizens to be convicted and killed as witches. Within the chaos, the court arrests John Proctor for being a witch. He is given two choices, confess and save himself, or be honest and die for it. In the play, John Proctor rips his written confession because of his dignity and the court hangs him. However, if he had chosen to confess, the fate of Salem would have taken a different turn. Firstly, John Proctor and his wife would still live, despite suffering jail time. However, he would be forced to give up his land and search for a way to live with himself, his wife, and his four children, one of which was just born. The biggest challenge for John Proctor...
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...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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...act play, Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible, utilized the five-act structure to further develop his plot. The exposition of a five-act structure introduces the setting, main characters, and conflict of a literary work. The audience gains critical information that is crucial for understanding the...
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...The Crucible Act Four Questions Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the drama. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. 1. Where does Tituba think that the Devil is going to take her? 2. Give one example of how Abigail shows her dishonesty in this act. 3. What effect do the trials have on Salem? Use three details from the drama to support your answer. 4. When first arrives at the Salem jail, Danforth complains, “There is a prodigious stench in this place.” How might this line be read to mean something besides a comment on the smell? 5. How is Giles Corey’s character reflected in his death? Use one detail from the drama to support your response. 6. What qualities does Proctor find within himself that prevent him from at last saving himself and signing the confession? Use details from the text to support your response. 7. Explain how Proctor is right or wrong for refusing to sign the confession. Use details to support your response. 8. A tragic hero’s fate, according to Aristotle, inspires pity and horror. Name the tragic hero in The Crucible, and describe how his or her fate inspires both pity and horror. 9. People accused of being Communists had a difficult time getting jobs; some even moved out of the United States in order to try to resume normal lives. How is Proctor’s situation like that of the people accused of Communist activities? 10. Based on the conversation involving Tituba, Sarah...
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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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...hero is a person who has heroic qualities and is fated by the Gods or by some supernatural force for doom or at least to great suffering. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Salem was in a period of time where witch hunts were frequent which created chaos throughout the town. These witch hunts often targeted innocent, hard working people who were accused of witchery with no actual evidence. As a result when this conflict introduced itself to John Proctor, he exhibited tragic hero traits such as pride, catharsis, and nobleness. Pride plays an interesting role in the life of John Proctor in The Crucible. During the trials, Proctor daily wages an internal, war between his conscience and pride. His prideful mindset is what primarily caused his downfall; a person who rises and falls because of their own ignorant flaw, which is the true meaning of a tragic hero. Therefore there are several traits that exemplify a tragic hero in John...
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...John Proctor is faced with obstacles that he must overcome to develop his character in The Crucible. John Proctor’s change in his character is an important part of the theme of The Crucible. John Proctor is a farmer that inherited the family tradition. He is married to Elizabeth Proctor and has three young boys. John Proctor dislikes hypocrites and does not trust the authority in Salem. John Proctor committed an affair with a seventeen-year-old girl named Abigail Williams. Throughout the story he is challenged with the guilt of committing adultery. John Proctor’s personal integrity is challenged in multiple parts of The Crucible. Proctor is challenged by the affair with Abigail, Hale questioning him about his relationship with God, giving up...
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...Parallels of The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter share common themes that create interesting parallels between the two texts. Although they were written in different time periods by means of two different authors, they both show striking similarities in many categories, including overlapping themes and settings. Interesting parallels among both texts include, but aren’t limited to, public confession, public humiliation, adultery, and setting. First, public confession is presented in each text. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor is the epitome of this idea. Proctor asks “Why must it (his confession) be written?” to which Danforth “Why, for the good instruction of the village, Mister; this we shall...
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...Chanel Buckner Mr. Towns English 11 5th period 19 September 2017 The Meaning of The Crucible’s Title to The Play An crucible can be defined as a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new. It can also be defined as a metal container which metals and other substances are melted or subjected to very high temperatures. Both these definitions can be applied to the meaning of the title in the play.The title of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is appropriate because it refers to many critical themes shown throughout the play. Being a strict puritan community, Salem’s village could be described as the 'container'. The ‘container” contains the extremely religious...
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...Honor has governed society for hundreds of years, and has inspired men to do both great and terrible things. Men have gone to war in the name of honor, and killed to defend it, and evolving honor sometimes induces a change in societal structure. John Proctor from Arthur Miller’s Crucible and Will Kane from Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon exemplify honor’s ability to incite change. Both Proctor and Kane are portrayed as both honorable and influential men in their respective towns. Their actions motivated by their individual codes of honor allow Proctor and Kane to spark change their communities. Proctor’s honor leads him to sacrifice himself, inciting change in his community, and ending the Salem witch trials. Proctor’s code of honor is built around...
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...The Crucible Essay In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, John Proctor ragins his sense of goodness by tearing up the confession that Danforth forces him to sign, but is Proctor’s act believable? His action of defying Danforth and the the others who so desperately wanted Proctor to sign the document are believable because of who the man that Proctor is even though some of his actions in the past may contradict the credibility of Proctor tearing up the document. John Proctor is an honest man who takes a big interest in always doing what is right even if it may have consequences for himself; he cares greatly for the people around him especially his family; Proctor stands up for what is right with bravery in every word that he uses when he says...
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...In Arthur Millers, The Crucible, the Salem witch trails occurred. In Salem, while the Salem witch trials were occurring, the citizens tell many lies. This is one thing that led to the mass hysteria that defined the Salem witch trials. It also led to many conflicts between the characters in this book. This is because in the eyes of the puritans anyone who was involved in “witchcraft” was against the church and thought to be communicating with Satan and deserved death. One of the conflicts that occurred in The Crucible was between John Proctor and himself. Because lying is a sin and in turn causes negative effects, John Proctor is forced to face the reality and the consequences of his deceitfulness. In the play The Crucible, John Proctor, the main character, endures multiple inner conflicts. He believes his affair with Abigail Williams, another citizen of Salem, has permanently damaged him and his worthiness in the eyes of God. After scolding Elizabeth Proctor, his wife, for continuing to be suspicious of his actions with Abigail and not giving him forgiveness, Elizabeth expresses that she does not judge him, but that it is, “The magistrate sitting in [his] heart that judges [him].” Lying is a recurring theme in The Crucible and Proctor’s actions with the affair is an example of this....
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