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. It is suspected that this is because of his dislike of Parris. He has expressed that he does not like Parris’ church sermons mostly on the topic of hell. He also suspects that …show more content…
John Proctor may be a righteous man, but he despises Parris and cannot be called a “devout” Puritan. There are many instances where John Proctor admits his dislike for Parris. One example of his dislike is when John confronts Parris about what he says at church. “I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention god anymore.” (Proctor 1.4) Proctor hates the way Parris preaches, which is why he stays home on Sundays and works. He believes that at church they should speak about God and not to do good in fear of going to hell. Another example is John Proctor’s thoughts on Parris’ position in the church. John believes that Parris is …show more content…
When asked to recite his ten commandments to prove his love of the church and God, he cannot. John forgets the commandment against committing adultery. After Reverend Hale tells him he forgot one, Elizabeth speaks up and says “Adultery, John.” (Mrs.Proctor Act 3) to which John responds “Aye, you see, Sir, between the two of us, we do know them all” (Proctor Act 3). Any “devout” Puritan in that time would know all ten commandments. The fact that John does not, shows that not only does he miss mass and its teachings, but also does not practice his faith at home. Following this, John Proctor does not go to Puritan church every Sunday but works instead. An article on Religious Aspects points out that according to Discovery Education, “Church was the cornerstone of the mainly Puritan society of the 17th century”. This shows that church was an extremely important aspect of Puritan life in Salem. The fact that John Proctor does not go to church weekly is proof enough to show that he is not a “devout” Puritan . Lastly and most importantly, John Proctor had an affair with Abigail. He committed the act of adultery, the same commandment he could not remember to say when asked by Reverend Hale. “I have known her Sir. I have known her.” (Proctor Act 3) John Proctor admits his adultery in
Parris uses Proctor’s disparity towards his ministry against him. This way, it seems to the court that the failure is not in his teachings, but instead John’s failure to attend. He very much refuses to believe that John Proctor is solely trying to save his wife, instead of taking the court down which, through Abigail, is directly related to him. By insisting that “this is a clear
I am no Sarah Good or Tituba, I am John Proctor! You will not use me! It is no part of salvation that you should use me!” (1356). The dignity Proctor has for his name throughout the village proves that he will under no circumstances be used as an example to others.
How does Parris feel about his parishioners? Miller characterizes Parris as someone who is selfish and worries too much about his reputation. Parris is always anxious and worries about everything. He took so long to build
In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor was accused of witchcraft. John Proctor was a man of great integrity and knew he did nothing wrong. He was given the choice to confess and lie or be hung. Being the honest and stubborn man that he was, he decided his name was more important than his life. John struggled both internally and with others while trying to fight for what he thought was right.
The Salem witch trials were a time period when any individual could be accused of witchcraft for numerous reasons. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller focuses on the deviation of the trials and how the town’s most religious and honest members of the community are tried with witchcraft. John Proctor, the town’s most honest man, is accused of being a witch and must decide if he should confess or not. Proctor’s confession will stop the town from rebelling and uphold the reputations of Deputy Governor Danforth and Reverend Parris. Hale also wishes for Proctor’s confession so he does not have to feel responsible if Proctor were to be hanged for his witchcraft accusations.
The Crucible - Conflict Analysis John Proctor Internal: John Proctor’s most eminent internal conflict is over the sin he has committed, adultery. Proctor cheated on his wife with Abigail Williams, and this makes Proctor feel incredibly guilty because in the town, he is “respected and even feared” (19). He tried very hard, and succeeded, with keeping this moral crime to himself. He still walked about Salem as if he was “an untroubled soul,” (21) however, avoiding the sin again would be a difficult task. Abigail flirts with him, in attempt to have him for one last night, and it’s obvious Proctor has an arduous time pushing her away.
Parris is dynamic like John, but for the majority of the story he sacrifices his integrity like his niece Abigail. Not is it until the end of the story Reverend Parris realizes what he has done was wrong. " Go to him! He rushes out the door, as though to hold back his fate. Proctor!
Proctor tells Mr. Parris how he does not talk about the people who do not go to church anymore. Proctor is just doing his job to make sure people follow the Puritan commandments. Proctor does not want to do anything wrong. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a prime example of how rhetorical appeals highlights the significance of of Proctors speaking style by focusing on the diction and logos.
Moreover, Proctor wanted his sons to inherit his land because he had issues with the church. John Proctor refused to comply with the court or church. After the arrival of Reverend Parris, Proctor and his family quit going to church. Proctor did not trust the new Reverend. In
In The Crucible, that character of John Proctor is an arrogant, stubborn man who got caught “with his hand in the cookie jar” and ended up paying the well-deserved, ultimate price for his actions. Throughout the book there are examples of his arrogance and stubbornness as he interacts with his wife, Elizabeth Procter, his mistress Abigail Williams, and the larger Salem community. John Proctor, both in the book and real life, prances around doing whatever he pleases and expects no consequences. For example, here is a quote from “John Proctor: First Male Accused Witch” article, “Various witnesses testified that Proctor threatened or admitted to beating several people involved in the witch trials” (Brooks P16). This shows how arrogant John is
In the beginning of the play he is shown to be an influential character and stands up against what he believes is incorrect. Proctor always had a dislike towards Parris due to his mercenary acts as a man of God, Parris: “Mr. Corey, you will look far for a man of my kind at sixty pound a year! I am not used to this poverty; I left a thrifty business in the Barbados to serve the Lord. I do not fathom it, why am I persecuted here? I cannot offer one proposition but there be a howling riot of argument.
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.
Proctor actually preferred not to go to church because he disliked Reverend Parris; Proctor was not entirely sure of Parris's true intentions. When John expresses his frustration by stating, "when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at his elbows..." (Miller 65) it brings him great dissatisfaction, especially after working a long hard day on the farm. Some people in the town were afraid to express the same discontent Proctor has because they do not want to be accused of witchcraft. Although, others were bold enough to confront the court and converse with the judges about how they felt. Giles Correy, being one of the people who stands up, says, "and yet silent minister?
He refused to attend weekly Church meetings because he believed that Rev. Parris was an unsuitable puritan minister. Proctor knew that the puritans were supposed to be abstemious, yet “[Parris] preached nothin’ but golden candlesticks”(page 65). Afterwards, by claiming, “I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door,” Proctor proved his piety by implying that building a Church is an honorable deed. Clearly, Proctor managed to show both pride and honor simultaneously, illustrating the distinct characteristics of each in separate events. However, when conflicts arose, he had to choose between the
Abigail does all this for the man that she loves and had an affair with, John Proctor. If the reader begins to focus on John, his actions and what he stands for, they are easily able to recognize he portrays characteristics of the flawed nature of an individual. It is shown through the fact that he had an affair, isn’t able to forgive himself, and at the end of the book, is unable to give up something dear to him to save himself and others. When analyzing John Proctor, the first thing that stands out is that he had an affair with a 17 year-old Abigail Williams. Proctor has a wife who loves him and three children but still decides to stray from his family and fancies someone else.