In Arthur Miller's Play The Crucible, various characters face major conflict, whether through physical trials or unseen personal struggles. Some people live every day in fear, wondering if they will be falsely accused of witchcraft. Others face more internal challenges, such as forgiving those who have hurt them. John Proctor, was a man of strong moral character who held himself to a high standard for the sake of his good name and family.
The actual plot begins when John Proctor enters the play. The play's exposition has been introducing the town, some of its residents, and the major situation that will lead to the plot, which is the accusations of witchcraft. Without John, the play would simply be a retelling of a terrible period in American history. His presence sharpens the play's risks because John has a problem that requires him to give up his dignity, honor, and good name in order to free his wife and friends from false accusations of witchcraft.
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His lustful mistake led him to commit adultery, exposing him to Abigail's manipulations. "Because that's my name! Because I don't have room for another in my life! Because I lie and agree to lie! Because I am not worth the dust on their bare feet! How will I survive without my name? I've given you my soul; please leave me my name!” This quote exemplifies Proctor's morals, honor, and integrity. Proctor is unsure how he will live without his good name. He's not sure how he'll live with the shame of signing himself up for a lie within
In Act 1, John Proctor leads Abigail on while he has a wife. Instead of leading Abigail on he had an opportunity to end the hysteria. At that point, he created drama since Abigail had gone so far to do witchcraft and drink blood in order to have Elizabeth killed in Act 1. In Act IV, Proctor confessed his sin which made the town go insane. Proctor's decisions caused Abigail and Elizabeth to hate each other for the reason they both were in love with the same man.
In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, John Proctor has been in many conflicts though the book like dealing with the court, his wife might die for being accused witchcraft, religious beliefs, and himself. Thought out the entire book it was about John vs Abigail. In act one John bumps into Abigail when he went to visits to Parris to talk about the rumors about witchcraft. Abigail start throwing herself onto John Proctor Abigail also start telling him how much she misses him and how she still want to be with him but John is married with Elizabeth. John rejects her be saying “I will cut off my hand before I'll even reach for you again” (Miller 22).
John Proctor is a pedofile but a hero. In Arthur Miller's movie, "The Crucible,” released in 1996 in the United States, the town of Salem is consumed by a mass hysteria as people are accused of witchcraft left and right. John Proctor, the star of the movie, plays a crucial role on how he could have been the character to have ended this madness. In "The Crucible,” I believe John Proctor could have ended the hysteria in Salem by avoiding the affair with Abigail Williams, being more honest, and exposing the lies. To begin with, John Proctor should’ve left Abigail Williams alone.
In the vindictive play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller writes about accusations of witchery, unfaithfulness and assumptious judges that lead to undeserved deaths. There are many different characters with many different motivations for what they did. John Proctor is a tormented man because he cannot forgive himself for the things he had done to his wife. Preceding the actual play, John Proctor and his servant, Abigail, had an affair.
How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” John Proctor is quite blunt and frank towards everyone, which are normally not always the best qualities to have. He calls them as he sees them. Constantly, John Proctor refers to Abigail Williams as a whore.
Kayla Tillman 10/29/16 3rd period Russow English 3 The Crucible: John Proctor Throughout the dynamic story of The Crucible ,written by Arthur Miller, many characters are introduced, all with different personalities. One character that stood out in the story was John Proctor because of his growth as an individual throughout the story. In the beginning John is a remorseful man who has a closeted secret that he cannot forgive himself for but towards the end of the story he starts to gradually show examples of courage and bravery.
There has come a time in everyone’s life when their character was called into question, or someone accused them wrongly of something they did not do. This puts a person’s morality on the line and tests whether they will do what’s best for them or the masses. The Crucible by Arthur Miller shows the characters John Proctor, Deputy Governor Danforth, and Abigail Williams going through this same test. The play provides a narrative on how people choose to value their own reputation and honor over protecting the lives of themselves and others.
When reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller, some might think that John Proctor is a good and honest man right? Wrong. John Proctor is nothing but a fraud, a scoundrel; and even though he is respected and sometimes even feared in Salem, he has come to think of himself as a bit of a fraud. Although a sinner, Proctor keeps his secret of adultery from everyone in Salem. Abigail, John’s secret lover, and a group of girls were seen dancing in the forest.
Miller wrote The Crucible to show cultural and political "excitement" during the communist era. John Proctor is one of Arthur most finest characters by development and personality. In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller develops Proctor’s redemption arc with his relationships with other characters and conflicts within the town to display the idea that people who look for redemption
Proctor's desire for redemption is fueled by his guilt and may be exemplified throughout several instances of him sacrificing his name, and in the end, his life, when going against the court. Miller writes, “Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang” (Miller 143). Through Proctor's comparison of his worth to dust, he means to show how guilty he feels that innocent people have been killed as a result of lies and he would be able to save himself with a lie in return, which would then be used to encourage more people to engage in the hysteria. Instead, Proctor stays strong to his name and redeems himself through this sacrifice. Around the same discussion in the novel Miller also states, “I have three children---how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?”
In Arthur Miller's play, dignity and reflection of one's self plays an important role in what makes up a person's character. Through John Proctor's actions and words, Miller's element of tragedy that emphasizes laying down one's life for personal dignity is demonstrated in The Crucible as people will go any extent to accomplish their desires and fight for their beliefs, despite the consequences because they are trying to protect who they are. Tragedy lies within
Because I am not worth the dust on my feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 143). During Act IV, Proctor was tried in court for witchcraft.
Conformity shapes our everyday decisions, but can also impact our lives long-term, like ruining one’s reputation. One important character in The Crucible is John Proctor. In the story, Proctor is previously romantically involved with a young girl, Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams plans to accuse Elizabeth, Proctor’s wife, of being a witch so that she could be with Proctor forever. In this process, Proctor is accused of being associated with the devil, ultimately ruining his life and reputation.
Angela Cunningham Professor Laura Driver ENG-249-26245 21 February 2023 John Proctor as a Tragic Hero In the 17th century, Salem, Massachusetts suffered from witchcraft accusations, in which many people fell victim to. The Crucible by Arthur Miller reflects these numerous incidents with the story of John Proctor. He is an honest man who proves to be a flawed person. Proctor’s complicated relationships and struggle with peace of mind are an underlying force that fuels his decisions.
Arthur Miller was inspired to write the crucible because, during the red scare, he was accused of communism. This closely relates to the Salem witch trials because of the fear that soon turned into hysteria. Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible suggests that personal integrity is essential to one’s character and that sacrificing it for survival can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Throughout the play, the characters navigate this choice and face the consequences of their actions. John Proctor showed integrity throughout the play while dealing with the consequences of his sins.