John Proctor's Struggle in Miller's The Crucible
Coursework
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by a group of Puritan
settlers who arrived from England in 1630. The Massachusetts Bay
colony was driven by the religious principles of Congregationalism.
Each church and its community were supposed to be independent, but in
fact they all followed the same strict code of belief and behavior.
Members of the congregation who swayed from these norms were severely
punished.
How does your reputation define you and how do people look at you because of your name? Characters in the story The Crucible, are highly concerned regarding their reputation and name. John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Governor Danforth are all important characters who care about their name in the town of Salem. Each character in the story shows how, through the witchcraft trials, their name and reputation will follow them and even determine their fate. In the The Crucible, John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Danforth prove that reputation can define oneself.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, not many characters would deserve the title of a tragic hero. Salem is filled with townspeople who search to sell out others to save their own reputation. Not a single man besides John Proctor would've ripped his signature to save his reputation and be hanged. Others didn't have what it took to openly refuse the court, but John Proctor did. In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible John Proctor was a tragic hero because he was first a selfish and adulterous man, to later becoming a selfless man who pays the price when falsely accused.
In the end of the book “ The Crucible” John proctor is met in the cell by the higher orders, and they try to get him to sign a confession of witchcraft. John insists that he would rather hang instead of sign his name away, and he says for the very reason, “I have given you my soul; leave me my name”. You can argue that he is being prideful in his wanting to keep his name clean, but the reasons he gives makes it the most honorable act to be played out in this book.
In the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, John Proctor has a couple reasons to be hesitant to testify in court. John has a close relationship with both Elizabeth and Abigail. Abby has told John several personal things, including that she was basically lying about all of the witchcraft accusations. If John reveals what he knows then Abby can reveal that they had an affair. Which that is disgraceful in a Puritan society. If Abby told the secret John Proctor's reputation would be ruined, and he would likely be accused of working with the devil. He would be accused because having an affair is a sin. I believe that John Proctor's testimony would be believed if people did not know about the affir. John is a good honest man in the eyes
In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, several characters are tested with their own crucible. One such character is John Proctor. His test was a relatively common test: to choose between what is morally right, or wrong. We are told that, prior to the beginning of the play, John Proctor and Abigail Williams, his previous house servant, had an affair behind the back of Elizabeth Proctor, John's wife. Now that the affair is over, John must prove himself worthy of Elizabeth's trust and love, and must try to redeem his good character and to be a good Christian. Though there may be differing opinions about whether he passed or did not pass his crucible, I believe he did. Through events in this play, we can see a good-hearted man change for the better.
Here lies John Proctor, a prominent figure in the society of Salem. He was a respectable man, shown through hard work, for standing for what he believes; an honorable soul, for refusing to confess to a lie and was hung for it. Here lies a man who had found his goodness in his last few moments. May he rest in peace.
What really is a tragic hero, a tragic hero defined by Aristotle as someone who (“differentiate himself from every other man, that moment when out of a sky full of star he fixes on one star),” (Bhatia). Aristotle also says that to qualify for being a tragic hero is (“suffering of the most inward or psychological rather than physical),” (Bhatia). Although John Proctor isn’t really considered a tragic hero because of what Aristotle says, buy he is because of how he courageously saved his family’s name rather than him and his family living in shame.
How were characters in play tested? Characters were tested throughout play some worse than others. One character I really want to look at is John Proctor. John in the play was accused of witchcraft by trying to help out his fellow friends. Trying to make his point John took Mary Warren, his maid to the court. Eventually Mary couldn't take the pressure of the other towns girls threatening her. So under pressure she broke lying to the officials of the court about John doing witch craft.
The reader may now make the inference that John Proctor plays a heroic figure in the play. John knows that it is most important to keep his name clean and his integrity. He as well calls out others for their lack of intelligence by letting the court and people decide what’s best for them. John is like no other character in the play who found himself sitting on the hot seat. John Proctor has certified, his courage and his passion. Because of this, he is smarter and more durable to the end. He is the only character who fully evolves in and who put a stop to the nonsense in