One of the main themes in The Crucible is reputation. With so many of the townspeople yelling accusations of witchcraft and pointing fingers, a person's reputation became a thing of utmost importance because it was who you were and how you were viewed. However, as the trials went on, reputation no longer mattered to the courts as even the ‘best’ and most upright citizens were brought in on accusations and then later tried, and hanged. One such example is Rebecca Nurse. In the end John Proctor recognizes that reputation is still a representation of who you are. Personal integrity is the only thing that can stand against mass corruption, as illustrated by John Proctor, who had decided to hang rather than confess to crimes he did not commit. …show more content…
I see no light of God in that man. I'll not conceal it.” From this judgment, Proctor shows the audience that he does not trust Reverend Parris in the least, further allowing Miller to develop this relationship throughout the play. This quotation also shows us that Proctor is willing to isolate himself from the church in order to demonstrate his views. When Proctor later tears up his confession, the audience immediately sees a change in his character. Proctor now feels proud, saying, “Show honor now, show a stony heart and sink with it!” John Proctor finds it easier to forgive himself and he now wants Elizabeth to forgive him. At the end of the play Elizabeth cries, “He have goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” We The audience, now full of admiration and respect for Proctor at the end of Act four, have finally forgiven him for his mistakes. By the end of the play through Miller’s notions of goodness through Proctor, the audience learns that everyone makes mistakes and that by forgiving ourselves, others will be able to forgive us as well. Miller teaches throughout troubled times, that it is important to remain
Miller presents the character of John Proctor in an important way to show two sides to his character. These qualities make him have the most important role in ‘The Crucible.’ The key events that show him in this way is when the audience find out about the affair, how he tries to defend his wife, his confession in court and his hanging for the sake of others. Through the events in The Crucible, Miller then portrays John Proctor’s character with tension and suspense. This then makes the audience question whether or not he is a good man.
First, in The Crucible, John Proctor is very well known in the town of Salem. “John Proctor was not simply a farmer but a man of significant wealth derived from diverse sources: inheritance, farming, rents, tavern keeping, and commercial ventures” (McGill 5). The Proctors get their wealth from many sources which has caused them to be very high in the social class. “Miller does refer to Proctor as a farmer, notes that he has followed the family tradition of tinkering with inventions, and consistently implies that he and his friends represent a social element inferior to the Putnams” (McGill 5). During The Crucible John Proctor is constantly faced with the problem of preserving his good name. “Previously preferred over truth, his good name is now preferred to life itself” (Popkin 7). John Proctor’s reputation is very important to him and he consistently tries to maintain his status in Salem. When it comes to his trial he chooses to give up his own life rather than tarnish his ...
Arthur Miller portrayed forgiveness in The Crucible in a way I had never thought possible. There were many characters in the novel, but the three that appeared to be most important were John Procter, Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth Procter. John Procter was a farmer in his mid 30's who was married to Elizabeth Procter. The Procter's lived in the outskirts of town and were, for the most part, good Christians. John was a very proud man, who was considered a leader by many of the townspeople. John Procter's one mistake was having an affair with their servant Abigail Williams. Although John confessed the affair to his wife, she never fully forgave him. Abigail Williams was around 17 years old and was a very misleading girl. She was the leader of a group of girls in falsely accusing many innocent people of witchcraft. In all actuality, Abigail just wanted Elizabeth dead because she wanted John. Another reason that she wanted Elizabeth dead is because she had been fired from being the Procter's servant for so long. Abigail knew that Elizabeth had been catching on that she loved John and the only way she could have John was if Elizabeth was dead. If Elizabeth had just forgiven John of his lechery with Abigail and then moved away, none of the Salem Witch Trials would have ever happened.
Though he does make some mistakes, John Proctor is essentially a good man. In act one, Proctor exchanges angry words with Reverend Parris and says, "I may speak my heart, I think!" (30). Parris is more concerned with money than God, and John honestly speaks of how wrong that is even though it would get him into trouble. When Reverend Hale asks him why his third son is not baptized, John tells him, "I like it not that Mr.
The only thing John Proctor wants to be is an honorable man in the eyes of Puritan society. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible John Proctor repeatedly tries to do good for other people. John’s motivation motivation to retain his honor is seen throughout his actions. Since John Proctor is motivated by his honor, his decision to admit he committed adultery creates doubt in the guilt of the accused.
...ecause it would be a lie to claim that he has never lied. Elizabeth says that she has her own sins, and only a bad wife would want lechery. Finally Proctor decides that he will confess himself, and then he asks if what he does is even evil. When Proctor agrees to save himself by admitting to witchcraft, Danforth demands a written confession and says that he must prove the purity of his soul to others, so he demands that Proctor accuse others. Hale says that it is good enough for Proctor to confess to God, but Danforth still wants a written statement. Proctor refuses, because he wants to keep his name good for the respect of his children. Danforth refuses to accept his confession, and orders that he be lynched. Hale begs Elizabeth to plead with Proctor to sign a confess, but Elizabeth claims that Proctor now has his goodness, and nobody should take it away from him.
See the ECB's ECB's ECB's ECB's ECB's ECB's ECB's ECB's ECB' This quote from Proctor is riddled with references to God and the judgment God passes on Proctor’s actions. Proctor also repeats the references to God earlier in the play, when he tries to convince Elizabeth he is not guilty of having an affair with Abigail. Proctor says, “I have roared you down when you first told me your suspicions. But I wilted, and like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed!
In terms of rebelling against Reverend Parris he doesn’t ‘…see no light of God in that man…’ it clearly tells us that Proctor has no trust in Parris at all and even not trusting a Reverend shows a sign of rebellion against the authority. As Parris is a Reverend it means he is a member of the Church and so has some authority over some people, however with Proctor he does not comply with what Parris tells him causing him to essentially rebel against the authority (the Church) by not baptising his third child because of Reverend Parris. But as well as that another reason why Proctor does not want Reverend Parris to baptise his third child is because of how selfish and prideful he is. ‘…I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you comprise my very character…’ this quote shows the type of character that Reverend Parris is, only caring about his reputation and his authority instead of looking after his family. He is more concerned about what happens to him and his position instead of his family, so we understand why John Proctor does not want his third child baptised by him as there is ‘…no light of God in that
In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, I found myself struggling to grasp the full intensity he portrayed. One intense subject he really pinpointed was reputation. Reputation seemed to be a major focus of almost all they characters in this literary work. Whether it be reputation as a good member of the Salem Massachusetts community, or reputation as most successful preacher, the townspeople seemed to revolve around reputation. Many townspeople including John Proctor, Reverend Parris, as well as Giles Corey. This was not always necessary a bad thing, as it kept them in check, but in this case, the longing for a good reputation overpowered many lives, literally. Too much want for a triumphant
Many people believe that teenagers are reckless, rude, and untruthful human beings. It seems that teenagers are always under the pressure to “look cool,” and not do anything embarrassing. Reputation means a great deal to many high schoolers, because it seems that you only get one chance to make a good impression. In the Crucible, Abigail and the other girls fear that their reputation will be destroyed if the would be known as witches. Teenagers today have so much pressure on themselves. They have to get good grades, to get into their choice of college. They also are under the pressure to have and keep a good reputation, just as Abigail and the girls of Salem had to keep theirs.
“Danforth:... You will sign your name or it is no confession, Mister! His breast heaving with agonized breathing, Proctor now lays down the paper and signs his name… Proctor has just finished signing when Danforth reaches for the paper. But Proctor snatches it up...His breast heaving, his eyes staring, Proctor tears the paper and crumbles it, and he is weeping in fury, but erect.” Not once in his time from that moment in the court, or jail, or at Gallows Hill did he confess to witchcraft, despite Reverend Hale’s attempts to persuade him otherwise. Proctor stood against the court, the girls, and some of the townsfolk, and although he was in the right, and his claims were accurate,...
In the crucible, I believe reputation and respect was interwoven in the term of the play the ‘‘crucible’’. Reputation and Respect can also be a theme or a thematic idea in the play, reputation is very essential in a town where social status is synonymously to ones competence to follow religious rules. Your standing is what enables you to live as one in a community where everyone is bound to rules and inevitable sequential instructions. Many characters for example, john proctor and reverend parris, base their action on the motive to protect their reputation which is only exclusive to them. People like reverend parris saw respect as what made them important or valuable in a town like Salem, this additionally imprinting to his character as a very conventional man.
The concern for one's reputation could be the main problem the crucible is written off of. This is because throughout the story there is problems caused because of the concern for what people will think of one individual. Three characters in specific faced this Reverend Parris, Abigail Williams, and John Proctor. They all three faced at least one major circumstance where they were worried about there reputation in the town which would affect what they would do in order to protect it. With all the actions taken in order to protect their reputation The Crucible is filled with all sorts of twists and turns.
The theme of reputation is undeniably a theme within the Crucible because of the ranging motives, selfish characters, and selfless characters. Every event that happens over the course of the plot exemplifies the true character of the individuals involved, and every character's actions had a reason behind it. Almost all of the characters are focused on keeping their name clean. For example, when Proctor is deciding whether to confess or not, he thinks about how he wants his sons to remember him. Strong Puritans, like the Nurses and Coreys, refuse to confess and die because they do not want to be remembered negatively. Similarly, both protagonists and antagonists do everything possible to avoid social punishment and embarrassment, for it would
Reputation in this play is what drives people to act in certain ways. Miller uses this theme in such a way that is seems to control certain characters like Danforth, Parris and Abigail thus portraying them in a negative and insincere light. They go to lengths to never have no contradict themselves or appear to be mendacious and deceitful whereas other characters such as John Proctor, Sarah Good and Giles, are driven by the will to protect their integrity. The protection of either integrity or reputation is what differ...