...a literary character who makes an error that leads to their own destruction, but eventually changes for the better. John Proctor is no hero, but a tragic hero. John is considered a tragic hero due to a tragic flaw, his free choice, and the punishment he receives which exceeds his crime. Behind every beauty there is a flaw, leading to the definition of John Proctor. John Proctor is a typical man during the time of the Crucible with a wife and three kids. He is a decent Christian and a hard worker. His flaws are his lust and unwillingness to forgive himself. Proctors lusts of Abigail which leads to an affair between the two, and leaves Abigail broken hearted to be left by Proctor, causes a large amount of trouble in the story. This lust causes many troubles including the other hamartia of Proctor not able to forgive himself. This lust for Abigail causes Proctor to have a large weight on his shoulders...
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...The Revolution in Salem: John Proctor The Crucible was a pay that was written by Arthur Miller in 1952 because he was accused of being a communist and he didn't agree with McCarthyism. During the Cold War many were accused of McCarthyism, which is making accusations without proper evidence, and Arthur Miller was a victim of this. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory to McCarthyism. Arthur Miller wrote about people being accused of involvement with witchcraft. Throughout the play The Crucible many of the characters are changing because of what is happening around them, with everyone getting accused of witchcraft. One of the main dynamic characters, a character that has a significant change in attitude, personality, or behavior, in this play is John Proctor. John Proctor is a considered an honest man in Salem. In the first two or three acts we see that John Proctor could be considered non-religious. John Proctor wasn’t very religious...
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...The Crucible Essay “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller is based on witch trials in Salem 1692. “The Crucible” was written because of McCarthyism which started in 1950 and ended in 1954. Senator Joe and his campaign accused US government and other organizations of communist. Many people lost their job because of McCarthyism. McCarthyism and witch trials in Salem of 1692 are both similar events. Many people had their reputation damaged because of false accusation. In “The Crucible” we see John Proctor character go from being bad to an heroic character. He is introduced to us as a adulterous man, but in the end of the play he is represented as a heroic man. Abigail and her friends start to accuse people of witchcraft. The who village goes crazy about witchcraft. John Proctor decides to go to Salem and talks to Abigail by himself to see what all this mischief is about. Abigail tells John Proctor they are just acting silly and it all sport. Abigail and John talk back and forth and this is when we find out what...
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...The Crucible I grew up around a friend group that was always there for eachother. Our parents were good friends with their parents and they would all come over for big sport games. As we all got older we grew closer together and we all basically became each others brothers. One day we were shocked about what had happened. As our friend Aaron was playing baseball he fell to the ground while playing shortstop. They rushed him to a hospital and begun to do tests. Once the tests results were in he was diagnosed with cancer. Reading the book The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, I realized there were many characters that reminded me of Aaron. Because Aaron is a really good guy who had something horrible happen to him. Just like many characters in The Crucible such as; John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor. These were all good people that had horrible things happen to them. John Proctor was a good man in the town where these trials took place. He took care of his wife when she was very sick. Despite having some flaws such as cheating on his wife during the time she was sick. But there is many things that made him a great man like when he was trying to get the truth out about Abigail lying to get people accused of witchcraft. “You will tell the court how that poppet come here and who stuck the needle in.” (pg...
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...October 2015 The Crucible Analytical Paper “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it,” Benjamin Franklin once said. Reputation has a large impact on the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts in the play, The Crucible. John Proctor is most affected by the thought of maintaining an acceptable reputation for his name. Throughout The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor made many mistakes, one such as committing adultery, which made his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, lose his trust. Although he made mistakes, the town still saw John as a respectable man who cared immensely for his family. In the end, John did admit his sin of adultery and was hanged. Through “Aristotle’s Poetics” it is proved that John Proctor is the tragic hero of The Crucible because his true character comes out and he becomes a good man in the end by admitting to his wrong-doings, committing adultery, in order to save his reputation and family. John Proctor ruins his reputation within the change of fortune, or catastrophe, appeal of “Aristotle’s Poetics”. A change of fortune is explained as “occurs when a character produces an effect opposite to that which he intended to produce…”(McManus). John Proctor did not want his reputation ruined or his relationship with his wife ruined, however the complete opposite happened to him creating a major problem. The change of fortune is when John is finally forced to admit to the court about his sin (Miller 119). John Proctor commits adultery...
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...protagonist of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor, passes his extreme test because he is willing to put his life and reputation at risk to free Elizabeth from all of her troubles. John’s past affair with the jealous Abigail Williams is no secret to Elizabeth. Determined to do anything she can to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft, Abigail makes up many lies about her like accusing her of implanting a needle in a doll. John finally sees that there is only one way to stop the hysteria in Salem: to admit his sin of adultery. “I have known her, sir. I have known her”(1145). Proctor faces one of his crucible moments in the play, when he tells the court he committed the crime of adultery, and he passes. He confesses in front of the court and the judges that he himself was an adulterer. Proctor feels he owed this to Elizabeth. He wants to make up for...
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...Arthur Miller displays his perception of communism through John Proctor’s perception of witchcraft in the play The Crucible. The play The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts where John Proctor is accused of witchcraft, which was a massive dispute during that time. The Crucible is in part based on McCarthyism in the 1950’s which was similar to the Salem Witch trials. In The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, reverend Hale experiences changes proven by the things he says, the things he does, and others opinion of him. McCarthyism is a campaign or practice that endorses the use of unfair allegations and investigations. Marilyn Monroe was Arthur Miller’s wife. If you ask me I don’t think that Miller being married to Marilyn was the reason for the court's questioning I think that the play he wrote was why him and everyone involved were questioned.Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible...
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...In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, people who were innocent were accused of witchcraft. These people lived in a community that had high morals, and they stood up to their morals. In the Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts people's pride and name meant a lot, so people did whatever they needed to in order to keep their reputation clean. In The Crucible John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey are amongst those who are accused of witchcraft even though they are innocent, and to keep their good name they do not admit to the crime that they didn't do, they condemn themselves to death. John Proctor is wrongfully accused of witchcraft in The Crucible, he did not confess to live, to keep his name and reputation clean and keep his pride, he condemned himself to death. In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, Proctor is a well respected man in Salem. Towards the end, in Act IV of the play, he decides to sign a confession so he can live with his wife and children. Once he hands his confession takes it back and says, "I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!" Since he confessed, he only wants those who are present to know that he signed his name...
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...In the book, and play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, there is tragic elements such as a tragic hero.The tragic hero in this story is John Proctor. This is because John displays all the qualities of being a tragic hero, such as a tragic flaw. Tragic heroes are supposed to arouse pity and fear in the reader or audience. John Proctor shows all qualities which are: mighty figure, reversal of fortune, Uncommon suffering, recognizes the consequences of his actions, and his plight ennobles the reader. John Proctor is a mighty figure because he had helped to build the church. In the Book John had said “I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door,” (Miller 32). This shows how, in the theocracy the live in, which is a government run by religion, John would be a mighty figure. It also shows how it leads to his downfall, and his recognizing of his actions. This is because he is so full of pride that he thinks no one will suspect him, and he can get away with adultery. Also in the book John says “ How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name,” (Miller 62). This shows how John has recognized his mistakes, and is recognizing...
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...someone of nobility. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953 that dramatizes the Salem witch trials of the late seventeenth century in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the play, the town of Salem falls into hysteria after Reverend Parris finds his daughter, niece, and their friends dancing in the woods with his slave Tituba. The young girls claim they have been bewitched by people in the town to avoid punishment, although, the punishment then comes for the accused regardless of their innocence. A vital character to the...
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...The Crucible Essay “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does no feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” (Nelson Mandela). In simpler terms, courage is when something that a person believes in, is more important than the fear that comes with the consequences of that belief. The Crucible has many key themes, but the theme that has the broadest effect on the reader is courage. John Proctor is a great example of the courage shown. While, Abigail Williams shows immense cowardice. Throughout the Crucible many characters have to face the horrendous decision of whether to confess to have ‘been with the devil’ and lose their ‘good name’ or bee executed for that of which they did not do. John Proctor is a great example of a character with extraordinary courage. John although pressured to confess and knowing that he’ll hang, refuses to ruin his ‘good name’ and he does not fully confess to the crime. When Judge Danforth would not give up the argument with John to sign the confession, he asked, “Then explain to me, Mr. Proctor, why will you not let me have it?” (pg.1231). Proctor answered, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (pg.1232). These quotes show how strong willed John is in not having a bad reputation and how John has great courage and doesn’t lie just to live. However that John may express great courage...
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...Abigail Williams V. Elizabeth Proctor Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor from the 1953 play The Crucible could not be more different. Elizabeth is an honest, caring, religious woman, who cares deeply about her husband and sons. Abigail is a lying, mean, revenge-driven woman, who only has her own self interests at heart. Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible takes place in 1692, in the village of Salem. It is about a well-respected farmer, John Proctor, who had an affair with a seventeen-year girl, Abigail Williams. Abigail then goes on to accuse Elizabeth, John’s wife, of witchcraft, to have her imprisoned and hanged. From their personality, to their values, to their feelings, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor are polar opposites. In a village of sinners, Elizabeth Proctor is a true saint. According to her husband, she has never told a lie. “There are them that cannot sing, and them that cannot weep—my wife cannot lie.” (Miller 520). She is also so kind-hearted and caring, that she refuses to be angry at her husband, despite that fact that he had an affair with another woman. (Miller 489) “with a smile to keep her dignity”. Lastly, she only believes in doing what is right. She refuses to...
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...Transformation of Farmer John Proctor The characters inside of “The Crucible” live in the corrupt town of Salem. Suspicion of evil witchcraft activity between little girls turns into a controversy that will forever split the town. People are falsely blamed for a variety of reasons by an assortment of lying girls and sentenced to death by delusional judges of the court. These occurrences cause severe change in the main characters of the play; John Proctor, for example, undergoes major changes in behavior and attitude during the course of the play. Once his wife and family are involved, the trials become more than just silly happenings to Proctor. Towards the beginning of “The Crucible” Proctor’s actions were substantially influenced by how personal the cases in court became to him. When the trials began to spread to people who the Proctors’ care about Elizabeth wants John to go to court to tell how Abigail and the girls were lying. Afraid of Abigail telling on the affair, John Proctor is very hesitant to go to Salem. After Elizabeth tells John to hurry up and decide whether he is going into town, “I have good reason to think before I charge fraud upon Abigail…” (Miller, 194). Proctor decides that trying to save Rebecca Nurse and the others will only lead to Abigail ruining his name. Proctor, after being left amuck at the whole situation, leaves his anger out on Mary Warren. These decisions Proctor made will have resurgence later in “The Crucible”. John Proctor makes many choices...
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...Lindsey Sibille Ms. Gonzales AP English III, 1 16 October 2015 The Crucible Book Card Assignment Authorial Background Arthur Miller is the award-winning playwright of The Crucible along with many other famous plays such as Death Of a Salesman and All My Sons. Born in Manhattan in 1915, Miller experienced the pressing and devastating times of the Great Depression and both World Wars. His first two plays were The Man Who Had All the Luck and All My Sons, with the latter being performed on Broadway in 1949. His next play, Death of A Salesman, received a Tony award, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer prize. These awards allowed him to rise to fame and helped his career skyrocket. Despite his successful playwriting...
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...moral problems? A crucible refers to a container made of a substance that can resist great heat, for melting. In “The Crucible” the author uses characters that have moral problems that they either solve or fail to solve. John Proctor, Abigail, and Reverend Hale are considered the main characters in “The Crucible”. Abigail’s moral problem is lying. Abigail failed to solve her moral problem by choosing to lie to get out of various situations. Abigail did not like that Goody Proctor is the reason for her and Proctor’s failed relationship. Abigail chose to use Tituba’s voodoo skills to kill Proctor’s wife, Goody Proctor. Abigail is jealous of Goody Proctor because she has feelings for her husband John Proctor, after their affair. In the text Abigail stated to Proctor, “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!” In this piece of text Abigail confesses her love to Proctor and she spoke of the affair between them. Abigail said if Elizabeth was no longer in the picture Proctor would be hers. (Include evidence from where Abigail was in the woods and she drank blood + explain) In Salem, Massachusetts, witchcraft is illegal and those who practice it are executed...
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