...In the novel The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail who had an affair with John Proctor was caught “dancing” in the woods with other girls by Paris. This created an uproar in the religious town when one of the girls get sick and they begin to believe this had to do with witchcraft while in the woods. After Proctor's wife is accused of being a witch, they get trialed and Proctor has to protect his wife and his reputation. One of the many themes I found were that having a good reputation is important. John Proctor refused to get falsely accused as an ally of the devil, so instead of being known as someone who allied with the devil, he would rather die as someone that refused to be falsely convicted as something he is not. Judge Danforth began to doubt himself during the trial, after realizing that he might have falsely accused people of being witches and what his reputation would be after the trial....
Words: 505 - Pages: 3
...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?...
Words: 494 - Pages: 2
...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
...Sometimes people must risk their reputation to do what is right. This is what made John Proctor a hero, despite the flaws he had. The Crucible by Andrew Miller is a play about the Salem witch trials during the Puritans era. John Proctor is a hero in The Crucible because he believes in justice, values his reputation, and is fallible. John Proctor believes in justice for the people accused of witchcraft. He is willing to put himself on the line so others can be free. When John was at the courthouse, in front of all the judges—trying to save his wife’s life, he admits to his affair with Abigail. It does this so he can end the wrath of Abigail. John said—admitting to his faults “I have known her, sir; I have known her,” (Miller 1309). Another example would be when he is not willing to give the names of others away, because he wants to be the good person that he was always inside. He says when the towns’ men are questioning him for other “witches”. Danforth asks him if there was...
Words: 632 - 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
...A person’s reputation contains his or her dignity, and The Crucible demonstrates a perfect scenario where people show how far they will go to maintain a good reputation. John Proctor pays the biggest price in order to save his reputation. John Proctor gives off a good image in the town of Salem. However, when john gets accused of witchcraft, he has two choices, the choice to confess a sin he never committed, or hold on to the honorable reputation he already has. After thinking about the agonizing decision, John decides to sign away his reputation onto a document stating he committed witchcraft. Before he finishes, he rips up the document, and dies with his pride. John’s actions show the readers how far he goes to save his reputation. If John...
Words: 313 - Pages: 2
...Truth and Lies How can one’s reputation affect his or her decisions? Reputations decide whether or not one is accepted or denied within the community. With reputation, comes a great responsibility, the responsibility of maintaining that reputation through actions of right and wrong. One’s actions can overall result in a truthful representation of one's reputation, or the falsity behind one's lies. In the tragedy, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, reputation motivates one's actions, whether right or wrong, to ultimately derive in life, or death. The idea of reputation can persuade someone to create lies, in hopes to achieve his or her desired position within the community. The doubts of Abigail's good reputation within the community prompts...
Words: 504 - Pages: 3
...In the town of Salem rumors are filling the air and false accusations seem to be the only thing the towns people know. The towns courthouses are filled to the brim with those who are innocent and the accusers who are throwing lies away for sport. Abigail and many other women are seen dancing in the woods, in hopes of not being caught. The girls act as if they have been possessed by the devil and accuse many of the towns people as partaking in the act of witchcraft. John Proctor is awaiting his trial for supposedly participating in the acts of witchcraft but yet he never confessed to witchcraft because it was a lie and people would shame him for working with the devil. In doing so his actions ultimately end up degrading his reputation. Meanwhile...
Words: 343 - Pages: 2
...The Crucible In The Crucible many characters touch on their reputation and how it affects their lives but I feel strongly that John Proctor has the most on the line. John may just be a farmer but, he understands that how both God and his neighbors perceive his reputation can greatly affect not only his life but also his families. This is greatly represented in the act three when he has blackens his own name to try to save the people convicted. He pleads with the judge to recognize that a man wouldn’t throw away his reputation to save someone for nothing. “Oh, Francis, I wish you had some evil in you that you might know me! To Danforth: A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that” he begs them to understand that he is truthful...
Words: 401 - Pages: 2
...The Crucible in that it shows how that people have the tendency to lie and be deceitful. For instance, Abigail ends up getting eighteen people hanged when she lies about “drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife” (p. 12) and “never saw no spirits” (p. 54). Furthermore, the book shows how doing the right thing leads to dignity when John Proctor will not “lie and sign [him]self to lies” and hangs innocently. Finally, it shows how dark Judge Danforth’s lies are when he says “I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just” (p. 80). The Crucible shows how it is a human tendency to lie and not have much integrity. Greed is the second most important theme in The Crucible and is apparent through many of the main character’s motives. For instance, Abigail shows greed and jealousy when she tells John Proctor “I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be” (p. 14), which shows how she is jealous of Proctor’s wife and is greedy in trying to get Proctor. In addition, greed is revealed in Parris when he asks, “where is my wood?” (p.16) and when he says I am paid little” (p.17). Furthermore, Putnam and Proctor fight over a “tract of land” (p. 18) and Putnam starts accusing innocent people of witchcraft in order to gain their land, which shows how greed only makes people do evil. Miller shows how greed is a instinctive trait in humans in his play The Crucible. Respect is the last theme that is important in The Crucible. Everything...
Words: 424 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 648 - Pages: 3
...important things that happen in the crucible, and there are many important characters in the crucible that i will be talking about in the. All these characters are important in the crucible because they all have to deal with a big part in the crucible. The three characters that i will be talking about from the book are john proctor, abigail williams, and giles corey. All these characters have an important role in the crucible and i feel like you should know about these characters. My first character that i will be talking about is abigail because she is one of the most important characters in this book. Abigail is really concerned with her reputation because she knows that she is lying about the whole thing but abagaile just doesn't want to get in trouble. This starts to change the way abagail acts because she doesn't want to get in trouble she acts like this with all the other girls because she doesn't want any of the other girls telling people about what they did in the woods with tituba. Abigail's situation is different now because she had nothing to hide but now that she got caught dancing in the woods with tituba and all the girls she is lying saying that all they did was...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 452 - 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
...the confines of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, many of the conflicts—including the more indirect conflict of John Proctor and Reverend Hale—hinge upon the theme of the importance of reputation. In a time when ones good reputation is the cornerstone for a content, healthy existence, it makes sense that reputation is an important recurring theme in The Crucible. John Proctor’s reputation is built upon his willingness to argue for what he thinks is right while managing to stay just this side of being a reputable, upstanding Puritan citizen. This is shown when Proctor is quick to come to verbal blows with Reverend Parris, culminating in Proctor dictating, “I like not the smell of this “authority”” (29). Proctor’s reputation of integrity and...
Words: 433 - Pages: 2
