John Proctor's Struggle in Miller's The Crucible
opinion Essay
3201 words
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. As the community were strong Puritans, executions were public, and could take the form of hanging, beheading or pressing to death, if not a less cruel punishment would take place such as an ear, nose or limb being cut off. In 1692 In Salem Massachusetts, many people, both men and women, were hung for being witches. Arthur Miller based 'The Crucible' on the Salem witchcraft trails. When the witchcraft hysteria hit Salem, the jails were full of people accused of witchcraft and being in contact with the devil or 'evil'. As they were such a solid Puritan religion, they assosciated any kind of witchcraft with Satan. The whole witchcraft hysteria began with young girls, being rebellious and dancing naked in the forest. When discovered, the children pointed fingers at many innocent people, so they themselves would not be punished for being involved in witchcraft. The whole situation soon grew beyond everybody's control, but in December of 1692, the jails were cleared and all persons under suspicion were free once again. However, by this time nineteen people had been hanged one pressed for not confessing to this then thought crime, and at least two more people... ... middle of paper ... ..., and she, as well as Proctor himself, can see the goodness in him. John Proctor has found, and what's more faced, his essential goodness, but more importantly people close to him recognised it in him. Throughout the play John Proctor has wavered and at times lacked courage. We discovered his weaknesses. We know about his lechery with Abigail. This disturbed character is a tragic hero, he is flawed, as he has not been completely faithful to Elizabeth. He does, however, redeem himself by almost insisting he give up his own life, along with the support and well-earned respect from his saintly friends and loving wife. At the very end of the play, he has found his strength and a belief in himself, that he was desperately struggling to discover. He goes to his death with dignity and courage, his self-respect restored.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how in act 2, he is forced to face the truth about himself, but it is not revealed.
- Narrates how the man is ready to give his name to a lie in order to save his life, but he is not.
- Analyzes how she tells him that she knows he has looked up at her window at night.
- Analyzes how he wants to be a good man and for it to become good.
- Opines that they may think of you softly from time to time, but they will cut off their thoughts.
- Opines that he thinks highly of her and still loves his wife, but will not love her.
- Analyzes how the devil in church instead of god makes it clear that he does not worship god.
- Opines that this joke was very spur of the moment.
- Analyzes how god and it is received as the devil's words, as though he is trying to.
- Opines that he doesn't want her to judge him anymore, as she knows that.
- Analyzes how she reluctantly says it tells john she believes him to be a good man.
- Opines that john should confess, rather than be hanged, to get him to confess.
- Narrates how they never knew how to say their love. it were a cold house they kept.
- Explains that the girl is a timid, quiet girl who fears mr proctor.
- Analyzes how mary weeps and sees the side of mary that we saw at the beginning, weak.
- Opines that she will do anything to save her name in the village.
- Opines that elizabeth is not a good wife and that she is in love with her.
- Analyzes how the girls' leader role is seen in act one.
- Opines that they have seen some reddish work done at night, and they can make a statement.
- Analyzes how she threatens them so they don't tell her of her threat.
- Opines that no one would believe it if the truth ever came out and so wishes.
- Analyzes how john is aware of john's evil, and to not believe what he says.
- Opines that they dare not take a life without proof of the lord.
- Opines that in their ignorance, they find it hard to draw a clear opinion of them.
- Opines that his conscience will not allow him to just go by the word of abby.
- Analyzes how the man sticks to his morals and refuses to say he saw danger.
- Opines that they have signed it. you have seen me. it is done!
- Opines that god knows how black my sins are.
- Opines that proctor does not wish to be reminded of his sin by having it nailed.
- Analyzes the irony of the man's refusal to let them take his name.
- Opines that his reaction to this is the turning point of his life.
- Opines that he is one of few to come to not give in to the experience.
- Opines that they see a shred of goodness in john proctor.
- Opines that hale can see and knows it is the good thing to do.
- Analyzes how proctor meant to be a man of no evil. this happens again much later in the play, at the end of act three,"i say - i say, god is dead!"
- Opines that if you breathe a word about the other things, i will come to you in the black of some terrible night.
- Analyzes how in the early stages of the play he admits, "i do not deny it, sir, but i never saw any of them naked."
- Analyzes how the man tries to persuade both him and his wife to change his mind. "man you will hang!" shows that he can see some good in
- Opines that confession would be wrong, and of course a lie. as he says this, it's almost as though it has given in to evil.
- Explains that they lie and sign themselves to lies because they are not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang!
Related
- opinion
- analytical
- The Dilemma of Conscience that Proctor Faces in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Conscience is the awareness of right and wrong. In the Crucible, the idea of conscience is strongly emphasised. Throughout the play, John Proctor is faced with situations regarding his family, friends, himself and moreover his moral conscience. The idea of conscience in The Crucible is based very much on Christian concepts, firstly the idea of morality, or conscience of right and wrong, secondly the idea of the confession of sin, and finally the idea of guilt and penance for sins. Proctor is so patently the victim of hysteria that his very existence is a challenge to the fanatic temperament, and he is consumed by its malice.
In this essay, the author
- Describes his love for elizabeth. "i will cut off my hand before i reach for you."
- Opines that they have no love for mr. parris. it is no secret. but god i surely love."
- Opines that he is entitled to his opinion. he loves god and that is all.
- Analyzes how she replies, "i cannot judge you, john."
- Opines that his only option is to take his wife to mary warren.
- Opines that he did have a chance to live but instead of signing away his name to die.
- Analyzes how the man tells her of what a fraud he is.
- Opines that he believes that his true self cannot be abided by a strict set of rules.
- Opines that they are no saints. let rebecca go like a saint.
- Opines that they can't wait to see how you've made their magic.
- Opines that john will not be able to face the challenge of teaching his children to walk like men in the world.
1488 wordsRead More - John Proctor's Character In The Crucibleanalytical essayThe protagonist’s traits are emerge in a number of ways during The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The protagonist, John Proctor, experiences a variety of situations during the witch trials that reveal his true character.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the protagonist's traits emerge in a number of ways during the crucible by arthur miller.
- Analyzes how proctor is a good, honest man who works hard and loves his family. his physical traits include that he is an older gentleman, strong, with graying hair.
- Analyzes how proctor's determination becomes evident at the end of the play. he chooses between maintaining the truth and dying or publicly falsely admitting a crime and be forgiven and let live.
- Analyzes how proctor's decision ties into the main conflict of the plot. he shows pride in his reputation and loyalty to his faith and family.
254 wordsRead More - The Crucible: John Proctor A Tragic Heroanalytical essayJohn Proctor a Tragic Hero - essay written by: Julia van Miert The qualities of a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle in 350 BC are: a tragic hero is a prominent member of the community, he/she has a tragic flaw (usually excessive hubris, or pride), he/she is basically good but experiences a tragic fall from his/her status in the community due to a bad decision. In Arthur Miller’s classic drama The Crucible, John Proctor is a good example of a tragic hero. He fits the criteria of a tragic hero. He is a prominent community member who has a tragic flaw that results in his tragic fall.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the qualities of a tragic hero as defined by aristotle in 350 bc.
- Analyzes how john proctor in the crucible has two tragic flaws: he lusted after abigail and his pride.
- Analyzes how john proctor's tragic fall was when he and his wife were accused of witchcraft by abigail. he got hanged because of his bad decision.
- Concludes that john proctor is a tragic hero. he had an affair with abigail, got accused with witchcraft, and got hanged.
414 wordsRead More - John Proctor's Flaws In The Crucibleanalytical essayIn The Crucible John Proctor was open-minded and moralistic enough to improve himself throughout the crucible. From the beginning of the story he fights to redeem himself and his soul, after cheating on his wife. He knew that it was his responsibility to correct his wrongs or his soul would be ruined. At the climax of the court scene Proctor recognizes that he has made mistakes, saying “I have quailed” and “we will [all] burn”(Miller.120). John Proctor’s recognition of his flaws and efforts to redeem himself are the reason he is able to ultimately save his soul.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john proctor was open-minded and moralistic enough to improve himself throughout the crucible. he fights to redeem himself and his soul after cheating on his wife.
- Analyzes how danforth's intention is to save salem from the threat of witchcraft, but he plays a role in his progression into hysteria.
- Analyzes how holden's close-mindedness shows when he addresses his current state in a mental institution.
- Analyzes how reverend hale serves as the rational, outsiders opinion during the trials in the crucible.
- Analyzes how acceptance or lack thereof was the make or break factor in the characters' journey towards self-improvement. outsider advice had no impact and self improvement had to come from within the character.
542 wordsRead More - 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how in arthur miller's the crucible, several characters are tested with their own crucible. john proctor had an affair with abigail williams, his previous house servant.
- Analyzes how john proctor abandoned his desires and chose to do what was right at the beginning of the play.
- Analyzes how john learns to overcome and kill his pride, which would have led him down a morally wrong path. he ruins his good name in the village in an attempt to free elizabeth from the jail in salem.
- Analyzes how john proctor's courage and love for goodness is evident in the closing scenes of act iv. he refuses to sign his name to a lie of witchcraft and prefers his death over his remaining family being held as relatives of an evil man.
- Analyzes how john proctor harmed his good name in the village and exposed his flaws to help others. he gave up all his pride and even his life for what was right.
616 wordsRead More - Essay Comparing The Crucible And John Proctoranalytical essayThe protagonists In both the play The Crucible, and the movie “None without Sin” ultimately emerged from their own nightmares without sin. Both Terry and John Proctor had to endure challenges and had to complete correct course of action, however both characters differ in comparison to the screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s quote.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how terry and john proctor emerged from their own nightmares without sin in both the crucible and "none without sin." both characters differ in comparison to trumbo's quote.
- Analyzes how terry malloy was depicted as one who was thought down upon, but had the ability to rise and prove himself.
429 wordsRead More - Essay Comparing The Crucible And John Proctoranalytical essayWhen considering two works of highly influential literature, it is important to consider how the texts are similar or different. When it comes to classical literature, there are often more similarities than one might think. This is evidenced by the abundant similarities in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Miller’s The Crucible. Despite these many similarities, there are still many differences. The two works of The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible are both highly similar; however, they also bear many differences.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the similarities and differences between hawthorne's the scarlet letter and millers' the crucible.
- Analyzes the themes of the crucible and the scarlet letter, where an adulterous character plays a major role in the story's plot.
- Compares the scarlet letter and the crucible, in which sin is taken very seriously, punishable even by death. branon's view is that if we continue to sin knowingly, we are turning our back on jesus and his pain.
- Analyzes the theme of mass hysteria in the crucible and the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how john proctor's affair with abigail was merely due to his own lust and weakness. in the scarlet letter, hester develops a strong love for dimmesdale.
- Compares the behavior of women in the scarlet letter with the women of the crucible. women were not given a proper chance to testify in the court.
- Compares the prominence of the court in hawthorne's work and in miller’s the crucible. the court was a mad house where people were convicted, often of crimes they did not commit.
- Concludes that the two texts complement each other well. they revolve around the same ideas and themes, making them easily comparable.
1290 wordsRead More - Prove that John Proctor is an Honourable Man When looking at a marble surface one can see its protruding grey veins, it’s stark imperfections staining its exterior; yet it is still shimmers and gleams, radiating beauty. In Arthur Miller's tragedy, The Crucible, John Proctor is like a plate of marble. Proctor is illustrated in the pages vividly as a dynamic character, with undeniable flaws in his character. However what sets him apart is his personal strength to stick with his beliefs, and the actions he takes to overcome his mistakes. John Proctor is far from a perfect man, but his constant endurance to achieve a golden character is what leads to his unquestionable honourability.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john proctor is an honourable man in arthur miller's tragedy, the crucible. he is a dynamic character with undeniable flaws, but his personal strength to stick with his beliefs and the actions he takes to overcome his mistakes is what leads to his unquestionable honourability.
114 wordsRead More - The Crucible John Proctor Character Analysisanalytical essayMany People think that the hardest test they encounter in life will come through school in the form of final exams or quizzes but, they are sadly mistaken. The hardest test anyone will anyone will encounter in life is life itself. The decisions we make will determine whether we will pass or fail life’s test. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor character is put to trial or through a test. John’s integrity, pride, and good nature is question through his actions. The decisions John made will decide his fate.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the hardest test anyone will encounter in life is life itself. the decisions we make determine whether we will pass or fail life’s test.
- Analyzes how john proctor seems to be a good samaritan in salem, and also considers himself good puritan. he is the first to speak out against the church in regards to witchcraft to save his friends.
- Analyzes how john proctor had to come to terms with his integrity. he was in denial about the affair with abigail.
- Analyzes how john's pride got in his way. he wanted to keep his name from shame and humiliation, but he didn't sign the paper admitting to his confession.
- Analyzes how john proctor's integrity, pride, and good nature were questionable through his bad nature. even though his pride gets him hanged, he is still a good man.
716 wordsRead More - John Proctor's Delegation In The Crucibleanalytical essayJohn Proctor is certainly a tragic hero, he demonstrates these various circumstances all throughout the play. Delegation is a lamentable legend in methods for good and evil. Proctor is a tragic hero for being loving and loyal. No one is perfect, Proctor also has a bad temper and gets angry easily. Proctor was a loving, loyal husband to Elizabeth, everyone had thought. We as an audience know that Proctor had an affair with Abigail. John Proctor is also known as a tragic hero for what he had done and sacrificed for his family so that they were able to keep the name. Proctor takes responsibility for witchcraft and gets the consequence of being hung in the gallows. Proctor does this because he wants to show his love for Elizabeth and give her the
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john proctor is a tragic hero in "the crucible" because he demonstrates the various circumstances throughout the play.
201 wordsRead More