An inspirational poster once read “ It’s easy to stand with the crowd; It takes courage to stand alone”(Geniusquotes.net). Set in the Puritan town of Salem Massachusetts, The Crucible written by Arthur Miller gave viewers and readers a fictional view on The Salem Witch Trials, and the courageous act of many. It all began after a group of girls were caught dancing in the forest by Reverend Parris, the local minister. After getting caught, Parris’s daughter Betty falls into a coma like state. As news of this spread, rumors of witchcraft spread with it. Soon many were accused including some of the most respected people in Salem, testing the courage of many. The major theme in The Crucible is that standing up up for something you believe in takes great courage; as demonstrated by the characterization of John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Rebecca Nurse. …show more content…
One way he showed courage was when he admitted to cheating on Elizabeth just to prove Abigail was lying. “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. . . .”(Miller 1259). Another way Proctor showed courage was when he decided to confess but wouldn’t accuse others, even if it would save himself. “I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it”(Miller 1271). Another courageous character in The Crucible is Giles Corey. Giles like Proctor stood up against the court. “I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wife’s name once and i’ll burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute”(Miller 1254). Also Giles courageously refused to confess, even though confessing would have saved his life. "More weight"(Miller
I believe the in the Crucible John Proctor is the most dynamic character in the Crucible. John Proctor is a father of the Proctor family, he doesn't attend church every sunday but only a few times a year and he states that his house is a holy house. John said to John Hale he helped build the church of Salem and put golden candles to light the church. The reason why he doesn’t attend church very often is because once you give people something they need later they're coming back for more becoming greedy. And he tells John Hale he still remember the ten commandments but leaves out adultery because he has cheated on his wife with another lady.
Arthur Miller, a playwright, wrote The Crucible, a dramatized and fictionalized play. The setting took place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The play is about the witch trials, which started due to the jealousy and lust of Abigail Williams, the leader of the witchcraft trial, wanting to have John Proctor, the main protagonist, again. At the end of the play, Proctor is led to his hanging. Throughout the play, there are many events that had helped him made his decision.
The most notable martyr, though, is John Proctor. Throughout The Crucible we witness Proctor’s personality and character change for the better because he chooses to follow his core beliefs. Proctor is put in a very difficult situation. He is accused of practicing witchcraft, and though the evidence given was false, he has to choose one of two options- admit to practicing witchcraft or fight for his beliefs and keep his reputation from being tainted. Proctor chooses the second option as he believes that is right thing to do.
Arthur Miller implemented heroism in the play, The Crucible, using the characters; John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Giles Corey. The first person to display heroism is John Proctor. John Proctor did not want to have his confession nailed on the church door and explained why, “I blacken all of them, when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence.” (Miller 143). This shows that John is heroic because he chose to not let the church use his confession and let innocent people die because of it.
Moreover, the underlying message is having faith in in your morals. John fought for what he believed was righteous and not once let anyone express to him differently. John arranged himself for the dungeon and to be hanged, so he could possibly protect the virtuous people. He did not once let anyone in Salem break his exertions. Similarly, Arthur Miller linked The Crucible to the McCarthy trials by having the people of Salem be as disordered and desperate as Americans during the McCarthy trials.
Proctor acknowledges others before him who have stood by their beliefs and thinks he is worthless compared to them for even merely thinking of confessing a lie. It is tragic that in order for one to keep his dignity and fight for a belief he feels so strongly about, he must die. In order to accomplish one’s desires, strong motivation for change must exist. Author, Steven R. Centola, comments on the will to fight against limitations that may be preventing one to
These characters are usually very prideful, but are intelligent and learn something at the end of the story. The tragic hero of The Crucible is John Proctor, whose flaw is that he had committed adultery with Abigail Williams, due to the cold nature of his wife. The events that led to his fall first start when his wife is arrested for witchcraft. He is extremely angered by this unfair arrest and rips the warrant, screaming, “Off with you!” (72) as they try to take custody of her.
He felt guilt and remorse, a sure sign that he was an honest man, and honest men do not deserve to die. In conclusion, Arthur Miller’s John Proctor is a hero. Proctor trying to explain to that the witch hunts are led by a lovesick girl to an unforgiving crowd exuberates his characteristics as a hero. Not only does he do that, but he also has feelings that every tragic hero has, such as guilt, and the want to fix his
In the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, John Proctor was internally triumphant when he gained respect for himself, primarily due to his mission of personal redemption and his integrity. Overwrought by regret of his actions, John Proctor is driven on a mission to personally prove himself. He realizes the enormous mistake of committing lechery with Abigail, and wants to prove to himself he has a good will. Near the final pages of the play, Proctor was asked if he was accompanied when doing the devil’s work, he responded “I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it” (Miller 141).
In The Crucible, John Proctor the protagonist, becomes a victim of the witch trials when his wife Elizabeth, is accused of witchcraft. In order to free his wife, Proctor must convince Judge Danforth of his wife’s innocence. Judge Danforth does not sign condemnations lightly and takes meticulous inspection of his cases to determine the guilty party. He is also a highly religious man who takes matters between God and men seriously. It is because of Danforth’s dedication to the law and God that Proctor utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade him.
(240). All John wanted after his death was a legacy to leave. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible has characters that, even though they are drastically different, are very similar in their motives. For example, John Proctor and Governor Danforth both protect what they feel is important by their actions. Giles and Putnam both get angered because of their egos.
Published in 1952, during a period of cold war tensions, which culminated in the ideological witch trials of the mcarthy era in America; The crucible by Arthure miller is set in 1692 during the witch trials in salem massachusetts. The author has used allegory to position the reader to draw parrelels betweeen the to time periods and critisize the persecution that occured in both eras. One of the main themes that Miller has used to portray this viewpoint is the representation of personal integrity. Integrity is the quality of having strong moral pronciples. This is acheived through strongly contrasted characterisation of characters such as Abigail williams and and Rebecca Nurse, aswell as the inclusion of textual features such as irony, symbolism
Also, in attempt to tell the truth about Abigail, John Proctor admits to cheating on his wife with Abigail, but Elizabeth lets her fear assist her in lying. John Proctor tells everyone in the court, previous to Elizabeth arriving, “she [has] never lied” (III.891.). With everyone now knowing that she does not lie, it makes her trustworthy and believable. Deputy Danforth then brings Elizabeth in to confirm what
In Arthur Miller’s dramatic play The Crucible, John Proctor, the protagonist, symbolized truth and justice by displaying honor and pride in his name. The change in balance between those two attributes acted as a catalyst in defining moments of the play. In the beginning, Proctor equally reflected both pride and honor in separate events. However, when forced to make a decision, he chose honor over pride. Ultimately, both his honor and pride pushed him to commit the ultimate sacrifice.
Abigail, John and Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale and Reverend Hale, all have one thing in common. This is that each one of them is able to one way or the other relate to the title " The Crucible "one way or another. With this being said these characters all in all are great examples of defining the meaning of a " Crucible