Free Essays on The Crucible: John Proctor's Search For Identity
analytical Essay
799 words
The 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. Proctor is very strong-willed and caring. He does not set out with any intentions of hurting anyone. He is a farmer and village commoner who is faced with incredible inner turmoil. He has committed adultery and had absolutely no intentions of joining in the witch trials. After his wife got involved and eventually was set free due to the fact that she was pregnant, he feels that he can't sit back and accept what is happening to the town. John Proctor is a good and noble man and because of this he believes that he can't be hanged and die a martyr when he has this sin blooming over him every waking moment.
Early on in the play, the reader comes to understand that John Proctor has had an affair with Abigail Williams while she was working in his home. Abigail believed that if she got rid of Elizabeth Proctor, then John Proctor would become her own. John Proctor had an affair with Abigail, but for him it was just lust, while Abigail believed it to be true love. She told John Proctor that she loved him, and once she destroys Elizabeth, they would be free to love one another. John is horrified at this, but can do nothing to convince Abigail that he is not in love with her. Because of Abigail's twisted plot to secure John for herself, Elizabeth is arrested. John Proctor has to wrestle with the decision of what to do. He knows that he has sinned; yet he does not want to hurt his beloved wife. This is partly why he is willing to die. He knows he has already sinned.
The most important scene in the play was act two, scene three, where John Proctor is able to talk with his wife, Elizabeth, one last time. He decides that he will "confess" to the crime of witchcraft, thereby avoiding being hung. He says to Elizabeth:
"My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before.
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.
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- Free Essays on The Crucible: John Proctoranalytical essayThe 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.
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.
891 wordsRead More - crucibleanalytical essayJohn Proctor is both flawed and honorable. After having an affair with Abigail. His wife has been unable to forgive him for this, and their marriage is unhappy, John has the guilt from his past affair weighing down on his shoulders, he apologizes for the mistake but it is shown that the guilt is still there “I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!” this shows that the guilt is crushing him that he has been trying to apologized for his wrong doings but hasn’t been forgiven he needs his wife to forget about the pass and move on he will do anything to show his wife he is devoted to her. John Proctor knows what he will do knowing that now his wife is charged with witchcraft he must go to the court and prove to them that this is all a hoax and this his wife is not involved in witchcraft and that Abigail is making this all up. John makes a ...
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 - Character Motivations in The Crucibleanalytical essayWhen the play sets in 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 causes the start of chaotic witchery and accusation. After the affair, Abigail becomes 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 admit to adultery which is considered a sin. . Also in the beginning R...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the motivations of the characters in arthur miller's play, the crucible.
- Analyzes how john proctor's affair with his servant, abigail williams, causes chaotic witchery and accusation. he realizes there is only one way to stop witch hysteria in salem, and that would be to admit to adultery.
- Analyzes how abagail willams can't stand salem and the people in it. she turns accusations of witchcraft on her into saying people bewitched her.
548 wordsRead More - The True Tragic Hero: The Crucible’s John Proctoranalytical essayThe true tragic hero: The Crucible’s John Proctor A tragic hero is a noble man who commits a fatal flaw. The hero’s downfall is a result of their choices which leads to a punishment that exceeds the crime. “The difference between Proctor and Willy Loman is enormous; the former is the rather typical tragic hero who is defiant to the end, the latter is trapped in submission and is living a lie” (McGill 4). John Proctor is one of the main characters in The Crucible. he is married to Elizabeth Proctor and they live in Salem.
In this essay, the author
- Compares the character of john proctor to willy loman in arthur miller's the crucible. he is a well-respected man of noble stature, conflicted because of his fatal flaw, and his downfall is due to his own choices.
- Analyzes how john proctor is a well-known farmer in salem and his reputation is important to him in the crucible.
- Analyzes how john proctor commits a fatal flaw in the crucible. he is unfaithful to his wife, abigail, and is guilty of witchcraft.
- Analyzes how a tragic hero's downfall is caused by their own choices and the punishment far exceeds the crime.
- Analyzes how john proctor decides to give up his life to save his own life if he falsely confessed to witchcraft. every tragic hero's life ends with their own choices.
- Analyzes how john proctor, a well-respected man of noble stature, commits adultery with his former servant, abigail, which leads him to worry about tarnishing his good name.
- Cites bergeron, david m. "arthur miller's" the crucible" and nathaniel hawthorne: some parallels.
1040 wordsRead More - Character of John Proctoranalytical essayEarly on in the play John Proctor and Abigail Williams had an affair while Abigail was working at Proctor’s house. Abigail believed that John really loved her, but for him it was just desire. As the story continues, Abigail gets furious and turns on John accusing his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, for witchcraft so she can get closer to John. When John realizes that his wife is put into danger by getting arrested by the court marshals, he is horrified. John is willing to die for his wife because he knows that he is sinned. When John goes court he says, “I would free my ...
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 - 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 - John Proctor’s Moral Dilemma in The Crucible by Arthur Milleranalytical essayIn The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the madness of the Salem witch trials is explored in great detail. Arthur Miller was an American playwright, who was born in 1915. He grew up in a Jewish family in New York City. While attending the University of Michigan in the mid 1930’s, he began to characterize himself as a distinguished writer. His first plays were Honors at Dawn and No Villain. The Death of a Salesman, which he wrote in 1949, won him the Pulitzer Prize for literature.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that arthur miller's the crucible explores the madness of the salem witch trials in great detail.
- Analyzes how miller's the crucible takes place in salem, massachusetts, during the 17th century, when jealousy and suspicion poisoned the thinking of an entire town.
- Explains that john proctor faces many decisions in response to his moral dilemma to try to save his life.
- Analyzes how john decides not to reveal to the court that abigail has admitted to him in private that they were just sporting in the woods.
- Analyzes how john decides to give the supreme court a false confession to save his life, but his standing and reputation in the community is ruined.
- Analyzes how john must decide whether to die an honest man, true to himself or to give in and confess to witchcraft in order to save his life.
713 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 - 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 - Free Essays on The Crucible: The Lessons Learnedanalytical essayElizabeth Proctor has many moments which show how she is changing throughout the play. When she is trying to persuade Proctor to tell the court that Abigail said the girls were not practicing witchcraft, Elizabeth blurts out, "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not." Elizabeth is confessing that she believes Proctor had an affair with Abigail. She is giving him no mercy by showing that she will never forget what happened. When Elizabeth is being accused of stabbing Abigail, she instructs Proctor to go to court, and tells him "Oh, John, bring me soon!" Elizabeth is gaining trust in John. She is forgetting his act of adultery and now has faith that he will defend her. At the end of the play, when Proctor is sentenced to death, Elizabeth says that "he [has] his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!" Elizabeth is admitting that John was righteous to confess his sin of lechery, and she should have pardoned him. She considers herself impure for not showing mercy, and does not want to take away from his glory. Elizabeth has transformed from an ignorant victim of adultery, to a forgiving, loving wife.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how events, whether beneficial or tragic, bring change in a person. the salem witch trials show the people involved what they could not see before.
- Analyzes how elizabeth proctor transforms from an ignorant victim of adultery to a forgiving, loving wife.
- Analyzes how reverend hale arrives in salem thinking he will become a hero and rid the town of the devil. he believes that people are just accusing those that they envy or seek revenge against.
- Analyzes how john proctor starts out as a regretful adulterer unable to confess his sins. he despises being constantly judged by his wife.
- Opines that if we all had the wisdom brought by life-changing events, there would be no chaos on earth.
873 wordsRead More