Free Essays on The Crucible: John Proctor
analytical Essay
891 words
The Crucible - John Proctor, a man with pride
John Proctor plays the leading role in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. He was persistent, honest, and full of integrity. He was simply, a man with pride. A wise woman once said, "Do what you feel in your heart to be right--for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." (Eleanor Roosevelt). Proctor was the protagonist of the dramatic piece of literature.
When the play sets in to action, John has had a past affair with his servant Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor is very forgiving of his sin, but John has his mind set that he will not confess to anyone else, in fear of ruining his good name, and reputation. The affair between John and Abigail caused the start of chaotic witchery and accusation. After the affair, Abigail became horribly jealous of Elizabeth Proctor. Proctor realizes there is only one way to stop all the witch hysteria in Salem, and that would be to confess his sin of adultery. Although he knows he should, he continues to be determined not to confess. Also in the beginning Reverend Paris is new to town, and John insist continually that he is only speaking of hell, and hardly ever of God, as Proctor goes on to say to Parris, "Can you speak one minute without we land in Hell again? I am sick of Hell!" (Miller 30). In the drama, Mary Warren places a needle in a poppet she gave to Elizabeth; John firmly demands that Mary Warren tell the courts that she really put the needle in the poppet that day. Proctor says to her, "You're coming to the court with me, Mary. You will tell it in the court." (Miller 80). Furthermore, at the end of the play Proctor is persistent by saying that no matter what anyone says to convince him differently, he would rather die an honest man and save his name. John Proctor took pride in his thoughts, feelings, values, and his name. It took persistency to make his intent clear to others.
For many reasons, John Proctor is an honest man. By no means is Proctor afraid to tell you what is on his mind.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john proctor played the leading role in arthur miller's the crucible. he was persistent, honest, and full of integrity.
- Analyzes how john's affair with his servant abigail williams caused chaotic witchery and accusation in salem, and how he was determined not to confess his sin of adultery.
- Analyzes how john proctor is an honest man. he confesses his sin of adultery to the courts to stop the frenzy in salem.
- Analyzes how proctor's decision is not an easy one to make. he respects and stands up for his fellow neighbors.
- Opines that john proctor died for his name and many other reasons. he was a man of pride and possessed the qualities of persistence, honesty, and integrity.
Related
- analytical
- Free Essays on The Crucible: John Proctor's Search For Identityanalytical essayThe Crucible: John Proctor's Search For Identity John Proctor is a good man. He is a puritan, a husband, a citizen, and an all around valuable member of the community. All of this is represented by his name. The name of John Proctor could be considered his most prized possession. It is his most priceless asset.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that john proctor is a good man who is strong-willed and caring. he has committed adultery and had absolutely no intentions of joining in the witch trials.
- Analyzes how john proctor had an affair with abigail williams while she was working in his home. she believed that if she got rid of elizabeth, john would become her own.
- Analyzes how the most important scene in the play was act two, scene three, where john proctor decides to "confess" to the crime of witchcraft, thereby avoiding being hung.
- Analyzes how the judge requires john proctor to sign a written confession which states that he confessed to the crime of witchcraft.
- Analyzes how john proctor made a last-response stand against the insanity of the town, for himself and for god. he weighs both sides of his internal conflict and realizes that he must not make another mistake.
- Analyzes how the characters in the crucible were faced with the most important decision of their lives, based on what they thought was right and true. john proctor learns a lot about himself.
799 wordsRead More - John Proctor's Moral Struggle in The Crucibleanalytical essayJohn Proctor's Moral Struggle in The Crucible The primary dramatic focus in the play The Crucible is the moral struggle of its protagonist, John Proctor. Certain characteristics of John Proctor's character and also the environment of the Puritanical Salem alleviated this problem for him. The main issues running through out the play are a series of dilemmas that John Proctor faces. The first and foremost of these is his guilt over his adulterous affair with Abigail Williams, the second his hesitation to testify against Abigail to bring out the truth and the third, his final decision to make the ultimate sacrifice.
In this essay, the author
- Narrates hale's words to john after his wife was arrested, which struck a chord within him.
- Analyzes how john proctor's character and the puritanical salem alleviated his moral struggle in the crucible. he is portrayed as a man with high moral values.
- Analyzes how john proctor is a foil to most characters in the play, who are conformists and submissive due to the restrictive lifestyle they had to lead.
- Analyzes how hale extends proctor's guilt in that his hidden sin caused the whole community to fall to the vengeance of god.
- Analyzes how the final act of the play focuses on proctor's dilemma to whether to live or accept death.
770 wordsRead More - Honor in the Crucibleanalytical essayJohn Proctor is an honest, though harsh, man who is clearly the protagonist of The Crucible. Before the beginning of the play, John had an affair with Abigail Williams, a girl who worked in his household, which was abruptly ended when Elizabeth Proctor, John's wife, fired her. This event causes Abigail to desire revenge against Elizabeth while she still pines for John. Once the trials are well underway, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of being a witch, which leads to her arrest. John goes to the court in defense of his wife, where he reveals that he did indeed committed adultery with Abigail in an attempt to expose her as a fraud and a liar. Unfortunately, John's appeal falls on deaf ears and he is arrested as well. While his wife manages to get a temporary stay of execution, due to the fact that she is pregnant at the time of the trials, which in the end saves her by insuring her life until the chaos, hysteria, and persecution comes to an end, John is sentenced to death. The play ends with his hanging, but his death puts an end to the trials.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is based on the salem witch hunts of 1692 and parallels the red scare and mccarthyism in the 1950s.
- Analyzes how john proctor is an honest, though harsh, man who is clearly the protagonist of the crucible.
- Analyzes how john proctor is a good man, even though he makes some mistakes. he is willing to ruin his name and reputation to save his wife.
- Analyzes how giles corey's character is not nearly as key as john proctor, but his story is just as tragic. he is careless with his words and accidentally implicates his wife as a witch.
- Analyzes how reverend john hale is an extremely conflicted man who is considered an expert in the field of witchcraft.
- Analyzes how hale's actions are dishonorable and result in the deaths of many.
- Analyzes how abigail williams is the most despicable character in the novel. she lies, manipulates, bullies, and even threatens to kill many of the other characters.
- Opines that the theme of the play is "is it better to die honorably or live dishonorably?" more people should have honor, dignity, and integrity.
1778 wordsRead More - crucibleanalytical essayIn the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller goes into detail about the historical event, the Salem witchcraft trials which took place in Massachusetts in 1692. The drama centers on John and Elizabeth Proctor and a young girl Abigail Williams, whom John Proctor has committed adultery with. In order to get rid of Elizabeth so that Abigail can have John to herself Abigail accuses John’s wife of witchcraft, a crime that was highly frowned upon. John proctor goes through a series of changes from being a horrible person who cheated on his wife to a tragic hero who will give up his life to say his wife. John proctor is viewed as many things in this play but at the end he come out an honest and noble man.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's play the crucible centers on john and elizabeth proctor and a young girl abigail williams, whom john has committed adultery with.
- Analyzes how john proctor is flawed and honorable. after having an affair with abigail, his wife has been unable to forgive him, and their marriage is unhappy.
- Analyzes how the court must find out whether or not abigail is lying and if they are wrongly accusing people of acts they did not part take in.
- Analyzes how john decided to give up his life and die as an honest man, but the court wanted him to sign a document stating that he confessed to witchcraft.
- Analyzes how the crucible showed that john was a courageous and strong man who fought for the right cause after being accused of witchcraft. he gave up his life to make his wife happy and their children happy.
685 wordsRead More - The Character of John Proctor in The Crucible:analytical essayJohn Proctor: “God in heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor”. John is a man of strong moral beliefs, concerned only for the safety of his family and personal welfare. He cares of nothing for the beliefs of any of the other people in the town and what his supervisor which is the Reverend, thinks either. After trying to avoid involvement in the witch trials he is later prosecuted for witchery and sentenced to hang. John trys to avoid any involvement in the Salem witch trials. His reason for doing so is to protect his image because he is afraid he will be committed of adultery with Abigail Williams. Following these events he trys to save everyone’s lives by admitting to this horrible offense adultery and ends up losing the trial along with his life. He did have a chance to live but instead of signing away his name and his soul to keep his life, he wanted to die honorably with his friends not without a name, a soul, and with guilt. “John Proctors decision to die is reasonable and believable”. Reverend Parris, the Salem minister and Proctors immediate supervisor, which says “ there is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning.” “The church in theocratic Salem is identical with the state and the community and will surely crumble if unquestioning obedience falters in the least.” Proctor, on the other hand, “has come to regard his self as a king of fraud,” as long as he remains obedient to an authority which he cannot respect.
In this essay, the author
- Describes john proctor as a man of strong moral beliefs, concerned only for the safety of his family and personal welfare. he is later prosecuted for witchery and sentenced to hang.
- Analyzes how john proctor is caught in a web of moral dilemmas involving not only his own fate but the entire salem community.
- Opines that john proctor is a threat to the community and will be considered as being aligned with the devil. he must show the people of salem that he is committed to society before it started to become corrupt.
- Analyzes how john's decision to die was a choice to commit himself to his friends and die honorable, and as an honest man.
1089 wordsRead More - There are many sides to John Proctor and they occur at different stages of the play, John is a complex character and is very well respected even though he has done wrong things. Arthur Miller was in the same situation as John Proctor in 1956-57 because he refused to give names of people he saw at communist meetings. There was the same trial system. If you confessed you would stay alive assuming you had turned from the communist meetings, however if you denied that you were seen at communist meeting you would have been hanged because there would be no evidence to show you weren’t there. You get the impression that the character of John Proctor was based on the real life character of Miller.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that john proctor is a complex character and is respected even though he has done wrong things. arthur miller was in the same situation as john in 1956-57.
- Explains that when john proctor is introduced in the play, there is a paragraph describing him. reading this, one learns about his character, what others think about him, and how he acts towards people.
- Analyzes how the quote "he was the kind of man – powerful of body, even tempered and not easily led" is straightforward and you understand that he is fair-minded. then you get to the line "he's a sinner against the moral fashion of the time."
- Analyzes how proctor was respected so much that he was also feared. he enters from the door and mary warren ‘leaps in fright’.
- Analyzes how mary warren is the servant girl of john proctor, but after a couple of lines you realize that she is not good.
- Analyzes how in times of anger, he is not humourless and still manages to be respected. the other girls all fear him and are strangely titillated.
- Opines that the main relationship in the play is the relationship between abigail and john proctor.
- Analyzes how john feels bad for what he did with abigail and broke serious ‘rules’. he wants to make it up to his wife and the conversations between elizabeth proctor and him are very restricted.
- Opines that when abigail says'soft word' she means a kiss. this is the first point where you start thinking there might have been something between them.
- Explains that they may think of you softly from time to time, but they will cut off their hand before reaching for you again.
- Analyzes how proctor's inner weakness comes from his relationship with abigail.
- Compares the love relationship between john and elizabeth proctor to that between abigail and john.
- Analyzes how miller used the simplicity of a husband and wife not trusting each other, but extended the fact that they are tense around each
- Analyzes how even when john proctor is angry, he still manages to have a sense of humour and dignity.
- Explains that john proctor is a puritan, but he takes his responsibilities lightly. he has to have all of his children christened and attend church, and reverend hale asks him why all children haven't been baptized.
- Analyzes how john proctor does not attend church regularly because he doesn't like the ideas and doings of reverend parris.
- Analyzes how john proctor threatens mary warren at the end of act 2. he tells her that all the witchery was pretence.
- Analyzes how mary warren and john proctor turn on mary and make the court believe that she is the devil. elizabeth lies to save her husband's name, which pushes her deeper into problems.
- Explains that proctor knows he has done wrong and feels very guilty. he can never feel good about himself again.
- Analyzes how proctor and elizabeth have trouble starting off the conversation and start asking each other more personal questions to make sure the other is okay.
- Analyzes how elizabeth's reply to john shows that she is not judging him as much as she was.
- Concludes that although john proctor has committed adultery, he is a good father and cares for people.
2068 wordsRead More - Character of John Proctoranalytical essayArthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a statement to the 17th century witchcraft. The Crucible renders John Proctor as a puritan, a husband, and a highly respected man. His name is his prime possession. John Proctor is a farmer and a villager who is faced with intense dilemma. He also commits adultery, which becomes his tragic flaw. Therefore he is to make a decision to tell the truth and ruin his name or lie and save his most prized possession. By this John Proctor is portrayed as an honest, tenacious, and faithful man.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's play, the crucible, portrays john proctor as a puritan, husband, and highly respected man. he is faced with intense dilemma and commits adultery.
- Analyzes how john proctor and abigail williams had an affair in the play. john is horrified when he realizes that his wife, elizabeth, is put into danger by getting arrested by the court marshals.
- Analyzes how john is a tenacious man in efforts to save his wife and his most prized possession, his name.
- Analyzes how proctor is a dynamic character. he doesn't want to be involved in the witch-trails but ends up being associated. abigail keeps pressuring john but this makes him feel responsible for elizabeth's imprisonment.
- Analyzes how john proctor is an honest, tenacious, and faithful man. he doesn't confess to witchcraft, crusade to free his wife and expose the children as frauds.
533 wordsRead More - The Crucible’s John Proctor As A Tragic Heroanalytical essayThe Crucible by Arthur Miller is set in Salem in a Puritan community. John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale, Reverend Paris, and Abigail are the main characters. The book is about witchcraft or what the town thinks is witchcraft. John Proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his temper.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is set in salem in a puritan community. john proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his temper.
- Analyzes how john is a loving husband. he tells elizabeth to "show honor now" as he is to be hanged in the gallows.
- Analyzes how john proctor proves he is loyal by telling abigail, "i will cut off my hand before i’ll ever reach for you again."
- Analyzes how john proves his authority when he goes to reverend paris' house to find out why there is talk of witchcraft in the town, and finds his servant, mary warren, who isn't supposed to be there.
- Analyzes how john proctor's tragic flaw is his temper. he was jailed for having an outrageous temper when speaking to elizabeth about abigail saying the dancing in the woods had nothing to do with witchcraft.
821 wordsRead More - The crucibleanalytical essayCorruption has always existed in our society since the beginning to present time due to conspiracies such as the witch trials and the communism era. The Crucible by Arthur Miller was written during the era of communism to mere the hysteria. The Crucible is about the Salem witch trials in Salem Massachusetts in 1692. It’s a corrupt witch trial in Salem that’s due to false accusations of witchcraft for personal gains. John Proctor is the protagonist in the story The Crucible who goes through the ultimate test by choosing his reputation over integrity. He also had an affair with a young girl named Abigail who is the antagonist and is the main reason the bloodshed is occurring in Salem. Initially, Proctor hesitates to deal with his sin, but as the play progresses, he begins to understand its effects; this ultimately leads him to find goodness in himself as he stands for the truth.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is about the salem witch trials in 1692, a corrupt witch trial due to false accusations of witchcraft for personal gains.
- Analyzes how john proctor, a well-respected man in the city of salem, had an intimate affair with abigail which he regrets greatly.
- Analyzes how proctor is put into a lot of pressure to confess once and for all about his secret. elizabeth tries to convince john about going to court and persecuting abigail but he refuses.
- Analyzes how john proctor came from being a noble respected well-being to an unholy prisoner. judge danforth wants them to confess because if the two most important names confess, people won't suspect corruption.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's play shows how our community will turn on each other to save ourselves no matter if it’s right or wrong. a good man regained his happiness and holiness by standing up against lies and sacrificed himself for the truth.
871 wordsRead More - The Crucible: Life Is Full of Hard Decisionsanalytical essayWhen we are first introduced to John Proctor, we learn of his affair with Abigail Williams, Abigail's involvement in the accusations of witchcraft, and of John's desire to do what is honorable. Because of John's desire to do what is honorable, he ends the affair with Abigail and begins to attempt to repair his broken marriage. Abigail's jealously of Elizabeth and desire to be John's wife leads to Elizabeth's name being mentioned in court. Abigail's mention of Elizabeth's name in court reveals her attempt to get rid of Elizabeth for she knows Elizabeth will claim innocence and be hung if she does. When word reaches the Proctors, about Abigail's mentioning of Elizabeth's name in court, John concludes that Abigail's motive is to kill Elizabeth. Knowing this information, John is faced with his first difficult decision, save his reputation, keep his affair a secret, and let the accusations continue, or ruin his reputation, tell of his affair, and end the girls' accusations. Not wanting to ruin his good name, John decides to hold his tongue and because of this the trials continue and more accusations are made, some of which lead to his wife's and his friends arrest for witchcraft and bewitchment.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john proctor's crucible illustrates that life is full of hard decisions that can bring hardship but sometimes turn out for the best.
- Analyzes how john proctor's affair with abigail williams, his involvement in witchcraft accusations, and his desire to do what is honorable lead him to end the affair.
- Narrates how john decides not to reveal his affair to end the witch trials and accusations. he is given the opportunity to discontinue his claims of his wife's innocence and will leave his innocent friends to be hanged.
- Analyzes how john's last life-changing decision was the hardest one he had to make. he chose to hang as an innocent man to stop the witch trials.
- Analyzes how john proctor made the right and wrong choices when it came to difficult decisions in his life. human nature causes one to lie to save them from going through the difficult part of a situation but in the process adds to the circumstance that made them lie.
765 wordsRead More