John Proctor: Saint or Sinner? Numerous people have different standards for Christian behavior. Especially in an era when religion was supposed to control everything in your life. The Salam Witch Trials were an important part of history that changed the idea of how everything is done in a country. Arthur Miller's The Crucible was intended to demonstrate how religion claimed hundreds of lives. John Proctor is a “good man” who has made mistakes in life, but he uses his sense of moral goodness being a truthful christian. He had a flaw as a well-respected member of the community, but he changed throughout the course of ACT I to ACT IV. He had a huge shift. Not just asking for forgiveness, but acting on it. Admitting to your mistakes is something …show more content…
DANFORTH: You-you are a lecher?
PROCTOR: I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name- you will believe me, Mr. Danforth! My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!” (1333).
John confesses his sins in front of the court, which could have resulted in severe punishment. His confession was made for the sake of his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, whose life was on the line, and he admitted his sins in the hope that the court would rule against Abigail Williams. At the end of The Crucible, he threw himself under the bus to help his wife, demonstrating his high morals. Confessing to a sin can result in severe punishment or death, but he did it for the sake of the innocent lives that were entangled in this situation. After Mary Warren turned her back on him, he took the blame selflessly. He claimed credit and attempted to prove the others' innocence. Not only was he selfless with his confession, but also self sacrificed for the safety of others.
“ DANFORTH: I will have nothing from you, Mr. Hale! TO PROCTOR: Will you confess yourself befouled with Hell, or do you keep that black allegiance yet? What say you?
PROCTOR, his mind wild, breathless: I say I say-God is dead! “
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He refuses to contribute to the lie of witchcraft in Salem, fights for those convicted of witchcraft, and regrets being a dishonest man. John was one of the most courageous people. In The Crucible, for example, John is seen as loyal because he loves his wife and is willing to go to any length to get rid of Abigail. “My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!" (1310) says Proctor. They were willing to take action, especially in John's case, where he has shown more remorse for his sins by saving his wife's life rather than his own. John died for his wife near the end of Act IV, which is loyal and shows his courageous
John Proctor was a tragic hero. John Proctor's character flaw is that he cannot forgive himself. John is on trial in act four and the only thing he has to do is sign his name. John knows that what he has done is sinful and knows that “God knows how black his sins are” ( Miller 211). Committing adultery is a horrible
We first see John Proctor introduced as a somewhat rebellious character when he is discovered to have committed several actions rebellious to the church. I will go over some of the actions he committed that were or seem to be in direct rebellion and/or violation of the church’s beliefs. Upon meeting Proctor, we see him as a somewhat closed off and overall disliked character by Salem and the authorities. Within the first few pages we start to see some of Proctors views such as his dislike of Parris and his view of Christianity in the society of Salem.
John Proctor assumes the main part in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. He was determined, genuine, and brimming with respectability. He was essentially, a man with pride. An insightful lady once said, "Do what you feel in your heart to be correct -for you'll be reprimanded at any rate. You'll be condemned on the off chance that you do, and doomed on the off chance that you don't."
Such a confession would disgrace his fellow inmates who dared to give their lives as witnesses to the truth. At the play's conclusion, Proctor makes the bold decision to walk to his death without attesting to an untrue assertion because he wants to maintain his excellent reputation. He exclaims to Danforth, "I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" in Act IV. He makes up for his past mistake and dies with integrity by refusing to give up his
John Proctor is a very dishonest person and isn't afraid to argue with others about things even if heś completely in the wrong. The crucible by Arthur Miller really does a good job of showing proctors true colors in the play. Many of the things Proctor does is cheat on his wife multiple times with a girl that's half his age and then cuts the girl ̈Abigail ̈ off. He says that he is a very faithful man but that wouldn't make sense because he cheated on his wife and when reverend hale asked him to list all ten commandments he could only list nine and the one he forgot his wife repeated for him and it was the commandment that one shall not be an adulterer which goes against the bible. He also made it very clear that he didn't believe in witches
In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, one character tends to stray away from the strict Puritan ways of Salem. That character is John Proctor. Throughout the novel the reader learns the ways in which he is not a devout Puritan and his objections to Reverend Parris as a minister. This is not to say Mr.Proctor is not a good man, who wants to protect those he loves; however he is not a devout Puritan. For example, he does not know all of his ten commandments when asked, he had an affair with Abigail, and he does not go to church on Sunday and chooses to work instead.
People in the Crucible thought he was an honorable man and that no honorable man will ever sin. So when John and Abigail meet each other, Abigail flirts with John, and John say, “No, no, Abby. That’s done with.” So we know he has committed adultery against his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, with Abigail Williams and that gives us a bad image of John sinning and commiting adultery with Abigail and doesn’t really respect his wife.
JOHN PROCTOR: TRAGIC HERO Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a greatly revered work, and it reflected the times of America in the days of McCarthyism. Perhaps the character that connected to the audience most was John Proctor, the protagonist of the play. He reflects the mistakes that we have made in our lives, and the struggle that some of have while trying to take the blindfold off of other people. He should be considered a hero because he feels guilt, and therefore tries to make up for the fact that he once had an affair.
John Proctor is not a good person because he committed adultery. John confesses to adultery with Abigail (Act 3 pg. 102). John is not a good man because cheating on his wife was not moral of him. To be moral it means you do what is right and committing adultery was not right of him. Elizabeth said that when she was sick John began to turn from her with Abigail (Act 3 pg. 105).
As the one of the most important characters in the Crucible, John Proctor symbols common human nature and goodness of a person. He is a very respectable man of the Salem community, and because of his human nature, he did make a mistake that violated the adultery sin of the Ten Commandments. Whatever the sins of others, John Proctor’s publicized position robs him of his credibility. But John still has his goodness, he feels sorry for his wife, still loves her, and he makes the right choice in the end of the play. He was going to confess himself of the witchcraft to being alive, but he is aware that what such a shame to protect himself instead of refusing to sacrifice soul to save his life by admitting being with devils.
John Proctor faces many different forms of conflict, whether it be self to self or self to society. Facing the court, Proctor gives his words and mind to try and free the ones accused. His personality and internal conflicts are arguably more intense. To be damned or forgiven by his society. The only way out of persecution is to smear his name.
John Proctor is the well-regarded protagonist of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." Throughout the play, John struggles with his own inner demons and is ultimately forced to make a life-or-death decision to maintain his honor. John's character undergoes a significant transformation over the course of the play, moving from a guilt-ridden husband to an honorable man. This transformation is evident in John's actions and words as he grapples with the events of the witch trials. At the beginning of the play, John is depicted as a flawed character who is guilty of committing adultery.
Also in Act 4, he was highly conflicted over whether or not to confess to working with the devil to escape death. In the end, he decided lying was a sin he did not want to commit and chose to die a honest man rather than survive as a deceptive man. So in the end it is clear to see that John Proctor still is a good man despite his short-lived affair with Abigail. He was an honest, good-hearted man who wished for nothing more than to live a good life with his wife and children.
A lot of what John Proctor does in The Crucible is to save his wife Elizabeth. When John Proctor says, "I will bring you home. I will bring you soon."(Miller 77) he promises to save his wife from being hanged for witchcraft. This also shows John’s love for his wife, Elizabeth, and his choosing of this love over his lust for Abigail.
John Proctor is a good man despite anything others may say about him. He displays three very noble qualities throughout the witch trials which are bravery, honesty, and an overall goal to save lives even to the point where he sacrificed his. While many argue John is a bad man because he committed adultery they are entirely mistaken. Just because he had one bad sin gives no right to anybody to call him a bad person when clearly the good side of him is shown more than the bad. John Proctor is a good man who displays the characteristics of a hero and could be seen as one for giving his life for his friends.