John Procter in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

John Procter, an honest man that follows the word of god; his name is a symbol of the stability in the country; however, he committed an unforgivable sin and could have resulted in him getting banished from the country, or even killed. 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.

A ‘Proctor’ is someone who observes but does not judge, this symbolizes the calm heartedness of John Procter and how he is a forgiving person. On the other hand, the people of the coven are not as forgiving and accepting of the people that live in the same area. Moreover, the isolation of the outside world has created an illiterate population with a level of ignorance to any new information other than what is said in the Bible. In the novel this is reflected by the witchcraft accusations that are being reflected upon the people of Salem, Massachusetts. They blame the devil for any different behavior taking place in their area, if the people are not following the bible word for word, they are considered working with the devil. The people of Salem make these accusations because it is a great source of power.

When the play starts, John has had a past affair with a young and beautiful Abigail Williams, she was his servant and he took advantage of the situation. 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 resulted in t...

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...because of the power being gained by the witchcraft accusations that have been drastically spreading. He hates that his name is being tarnished, but feels that God will forgive him for it because he is trying his best to fix all of his mistakes and confess to his sin. Later, his honesty is shown again when he tells Abigail his true feelings by saying that he would cut off his arm before reaching for her again. This symbolizes that has Proctor accepted the truth for what it was, not because he had to, but because speaking words of truth are actions of an honest and prideful man.

John Proctor dies for his name, and dies for the country and for the peace in the people’s hearts. He was a man of pride and possessed the qualities of honesty, persistency, and integrity. With those attributes he was sure he was rewarded his prize in heaven and eventually forgiven by god.