John Proctor vs. Minister Dimmesdale

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John Proctor was a main character in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.” He was a farmer in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600’s. He was put to death when he would not admit to practicing witchcraft. Minister Dimmesdale was a main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” He fathered a child out of wedlock in a sinful relationship, and fell to his death when he couldn’t take the guilt any longer. John Proctor and Minister Dimmesdale had several things in common, but also had several differences.
Both John Proctor and Minister Dimmesdale were involved in sinful relationships. John Proctor had an affair with a young girl named Abigail Williams even though he was married to Elizabeth Proctor. Minister Dimmesdale fathered the child of Hester Prynne while she was married to Roger Chillingworth. Both men had relationships that were looked down upon by society.
Neither John Proctor nor Minister Dimmesdale wanted to admit to their sins at first. Elizabeth Proctor knew of John’s affair, but he did not admit it to the townspeople until Abigail Williams accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. John Proctor knew the only reason that Abigail had done this was because Elizabeth had fired her due to the affair. Minister Dimmesdale lived with his guilt for several years before he admitted to being the father of Pearl. Hester Prynne and Minister Dimmesdale were going to escape on a ship and live together as a family. But, when this did not happen, Dimmesdale could no longer take the guilt. He stood on a scaffold with Hester and Pearl, admitted his sin, and fell to his death. Both John Proctor and Minister Dimmesdale waited before confessing to their sinful relationships.
Both John Proctor and Minister Dimmesdale died by telling the truth. John Proctor could have admitted to being a witch and saved his own life. But, he chose to do the moral thing and stick to the truth. He told the truth, and died for what he believed in. Minister Dimmesdale also died by telling the truth. He lived for several years as the guilt continued to build up inside of him. He fell to his death on the scaffold after he told the townspeople he was indeed the father of Pearl. Both men’s lives ended when the truth was revealed.
Although both men had sinful relationships, these relationships were also very different. John Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams. But, he did not love her.

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