Theme Of Reputation In The Crucible

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Recommended: Summary of the Crucible by Arthur Miller

Reputation, the one piece of social behavior that can make or break a person. Reputation is how people gain first impressions of people from others. Arthur Miller created one of his most famous texts upon the basis of one’s reputation, and a sort of mockery of the McCarthy case that occurred in the 1950s. During this time, a person could be accused of communism, and if they confessed, they were let off, but their good standing was ruined; however, if they didn’t confess, their name was still dragged through the mud and ruined. Arthur Miller used this to make an analogy to the Salem witch trials of the 1600’s in his play, The Crucible; in which we see many characters act differently to their reputation being ruined. Some characters in The Crucible by Arthur Miller appeared to have no issue with writing away their standing in the community in order to save their own
John was one of the main characters in the play. He and Abigail Williams had an affair, and because she was in love with him, she tried to have his wife Elizabeth hung for witchcraft. John came to the rescue, but was unable to convince the courts of Elizabeth’s innocence. Shortly after, John himself, was indicted for witchcraft. Towards the end of the play, John is about to be hung, and was weighing the pros and cons of acquiescing. After thinking back and forth on it for a while, Proctor made his decision. When asked why he wouldn’t allow his written name to be seen he said, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name,” (pg. 1232, line 1). This statement got John Proctor hung, and because of his and several other people refusing to recognize themselves as witches, the Salem witch trials in The Crucible were

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