...the confines of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, many of the conflicts—including the more indirect conflict of John Proctor and Reverend Hale—hinge upon the theme of the importance of reputation. In a time when ones good reputation is the cornerstone for a content, healthy existence, it makes sense that reputation is an important recurring theme in The Crucible. John Proctor’s reputation is built upon his willingness to argue for what he thinks is right while managing to stay just this side of being a reputable, upstanding Puritan citizen. This is shown when Proctor is quick to come to verbal blows with Reverend Parris, culminating in Proctor dictating, “I like not the smell of this “authority”” (29). Proctor’s reputation of integrity and...
Words: 433 - Pages: 2
...Sometimes people must risk their reputation to do what is right. This is what made John Proctor a hero, despite the flaws he had. The Crucible by Andrew Miller is a play about the Salem witch trials during the Puritans era. John Proctor is a hero in The Crucible because he believes in justice, values his reputation, and is fallible. John Proctor believes in justice for the people accused of witchcraft. He is willing to put himself on the line so others can be free. When John was at the courthouse, in front of all the judges—trying to save his wife’s life, he admits to his affair with Abigail. It does this so he can end the wrath of Abigail. John said—admitting to his faults “I have known her, sir; I have known her,” (Miller 1309). Another example would be when he is not willing to give the names of others away, because he wants to be the good person that he was always inside. He says when the towns’ men are questioning him for other “witches”. Danforth asks him if there was...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Self-Preservation is very common in the town of Salem. Self-Preservation is when a person protects themselves or someone else, whether it be by telling the truth or a lie. In the town of Salem many people use Self-Preservation to protect themselves from the consequences of performing witchcraft. However, others may use Self-Preservation to protect their reputation or image in society, such as Reverend Parris. He himself started, what is called a chain of self-preservation when he reported Abigail Williams and the girls performing witchcraft. This led to Abigail having to use self-preservation to protect herself from the consequences of witchcraft which later on led Elizabeth Proctor to protect herself and her...
Words: 1167 - Pages: 5
...Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” is about the mass hysteria of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony around 1692. The conflict arose after many young girls went around accusing people of witchcraft. As fingers were pointed and accusations were made, many people were put on trial and hanged to death. One of the characters in the play who is put on trial is John Proctor. Proctor is a highly respected individual who is proud of his good name. As the story of the play develops, secrets of John's past are leaked and threaten to ruin his reputation. However, Proctor refuses to lose his integrity. To combat the accusations made against him, Proctor displays characteristics of honesty, bravery, and dignity....
Words: 605 - Pages: 3
...The Crucible Act Four Questions Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the drama. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. 1. Where does Tituba think that the Devil is going to take her? 2. Give one example of how Abigail shows her dishonesty in this act. 3. What effect do the trials have on Salem? Use three details from the drama to support your answer. 4. When first arrives at the Salem jail, Danforth complains, “There is a prodigious stench in this place.” How might this line be read to mean something besides a comment on the smell? 5. How is Giles Corey’s character reflected in his death? Use one detail from the drama to support your response. 6. What qualities does Proctor find within himself that prevent him from at last saving himself and signing the confession? Use details from the text to support your response. 7. Explain how Proctor is right or wrong for refusing to sign the confession. Use details to support your response. 8. A tragic hero’s fate, according to Aristotle, inspires pity and horror. Name the tragic hero in The Crucible, and describe how his or her fate inspires both pity and horror. 9. People accused of being Communists had a difficult time getting jobs; some even moved out of the United States in order to try to resume normal lives. How is Proctor’s situation like that of the people accused of Communist activities? 10. Based on the conversation involving Tituba, Sarah...
Words: 2431 - Pages: 10
...The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play where the town of Salem conducts witch trials and exhibits extreme behavior resulting from dark desires. One notable character, Abigail Williams, was the cause of the mishaps within Salem and displayed an erratic behavior to the townspeople. Her distinct personality and persona have stood out within the plot and ruined John Proctor’s reputation. Abigail Williams actions and dialogue portray her, not only as manipulative but bossy and selfish. Abigail’s physical description ties into her manipulative nature. For instance, she is described as “a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling” (Miller 8) This suggests that she is powerful in regards to her lies and is tactical...
Words: 375 - Pages: 2
...The Crucible by Arthur Miller Form and Structure In The Crucible all the events flow smoothly from one act to the next. Everything happens naturally from the natures of the characters. The fact that the story isn't contrived, and even more that it is based on a true story is interesting. The result is a very believable play. Throughout each act the action rises to a crescendo and comes to a dramatic climax at the end, and thus ensuring the audience or reader of the play is gripped by the story throughout the whole play. The incident begins with the girls dancing in the forest and soon escalates into a huge witch hunt. There is sufficient conflict to keep the reader or audience member's interest aroused. There is a great deal of of tension and suspense in the story. It essentially covers basic human instincts and qualities. It depicts the human necessity for survival, and the lengths at which a person will go to save his life, and also the treacherous nature of many. There is also the idea of honor and truth. Proctor tries to keep his reputation but gives it up to reveal the truth. Through his struggle he achieves righteousness. All these things keep the plot moving. Proctor's relationship with Elizabeth can be seen to grow and mature. He continually grows more pure in Elizabeth's sight until she is able to forgive him in act four. Proctor character also attains a kind of moral supermeminence - He does not want to get involved in the court proceedings...
Words: 943 - Pages: 4
...The Crucible Act Three Questions Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the drama. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. 1. Describe one piece of evidence that Giles, Francis, or Proctor bring before the court to show that the girls are lying. 2. What does Abigail do to distract Danforth from Hale’s accusations that she is lying? 3. How does Hale show that he believes that the court is not doing the right thing? Use three details from the text in your response. 4. Danforth explains that “. . . a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.” What conclusion can you draw about Danforth’s character from this line? 5. How does Hale excuse Elizabeth’s lie about Abigail’s affair with Proctor? 6. Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. How does his philosophy flame the hysteria? Use details from the drama to support your response. 7. How do Hale and Parris try to thwart each other, or act as foils, in regards to Danforth and the court? Use details from the drama to support your response. 8. Describe the point at which you think the plot reaches its highest intensity, or climax. 9. After the outbreak in court, Mr. Danforth makes the following short statement to Mr. Hale: I will have nothing from you, Mr. Hale! In your own words, describe what Mr. Hale has said or done to instigate Mr. Danforth’s...
Words: 3241 - Pages: 13
...Reverend Parris, and John Proctor are faced to be concerned about their name in the Crucible, by Arthur Miller. With the concern of their name, they turn to lying, which is not appreciated by the town or their faith. Reverend Parris is an excellent example of this. The Salem minister, Reverend Parris, walks in the woods during moonlight hours and discovers the young women dancing in the woods. One of the girls he purposed to be naked to____________. Later on though while in court Mr. Parris lies upon the court about the incident that night to save his reputation: “I can only say, sir, that I never found any of them naked, and this man is…” (Miller 1305). With Reverend Parris being apprehensive about his reputation he ends up lying to the whole...
Words: 363 - Pages: 2
...Alexis Wauford Mrs. Hollewell The Crucible 11 May 2017 Importance of Reputations in The Crucible The desire to maintain an upstanding reputation greatly affects characters in The Crucible. During this time period, people were very concerned with their positions in society. They were in a very judgemental community where everyone knew each other, and because of this, people were very worried about how others perceived them. A poor reputation could cost someone their social life and many characters made decisions based upon this. The decisions that the characters made affect not only themselves, but the characters around them. A few examples of characters who worry about their reputation are John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Reverend...
Words: 859 - Pages: 4
...In the play Crucible by Arthur Miller is about the witchcraft in 20th century. Anyone can be accused as a witch base on the way they act in the community. During this time if a person was accused as a witch and the person have no prove that not a with; as a result for that they would lose all of their reputation, and they things that they possess will not heritage to their offspring. John Proctor pulled conflicting direction by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. John Proctor has an internal conflict between his willingness to protect his public reputation or his integrity as a Christian. This help to form a work as a whole for this play is sometime making decisions is hard. John Proctor normal farmer, but he has...
Words: 707 - Pages: 3
...The Crucible is a tragic story, one of unjustified deaths and malicious lies. People died standing up for what they believed in, and according to the story, one of those people was John Proctor. However, he wasn’t the courageous individual who wanted to save the lives of others. He had something else in mind, his own reputation. John Proctor died to save his own reputation in his town. He chose to die rather than live with his pregnant wife and children, just to avoid losing his good name. As the story was spun, John Proctor was supposed to appear as a tragic hero, however this is not the case. John Proctor’s actions were driven by guilt, selfishness and arrogance, not because of heroism. Although John Proctor's death was not warranted, he...
Words: 1050 - Pages: 5
...Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953 during the McCarthy Era, when Americans were accusing each other of Pro-Communist beliefs. Many of Miller’s friends were being attacked as communists and Miller himself was brought up guilty of beliefs in communism. Miller was getting sick of this so he put his writing techniques in action and wrote a play called The Crucible to show the injustices. This playwright uses the Salem Witch trials as an allegory to the US injustices toward suspected Communists. The Crucible is set against the backdrop of the mad witch hunts of the Salem witch trials, where innocent people were being accused and hung because of witchcraft. Miller portrays a character that is known as a tragic hero, strong but flawed, to fight against the injustice of the town and to show that a tragic hero can still do what he believes is best even when the majority of society is influenced by lies. The character that Miller chooses to be his Greek tragic hero is John Proctor, who is a good, well known, and respected man in Salem. It is evident that John Proctor fulfills the requirements of the Greek Tragic hero because of his many positive traits, such as his noble characteristics, his honorable and righteous qualities, and always believing in himself fighting for what is true. However, he had a fatal flaw that showed the darker side to his perfect characteristics. His flaw is committing adultery towards his wife. Before the play began, Proctor’s lust for Abigail Williams...
Words: 1044 - Pages: 5
...The definition of crucible is a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new. John Proctor had several incidents where he would have to make very important decisions that would be based on his morals and he managed to stay above and do the right thing. He can easily be identified as the character that defines the word “crucible” because he realizes the most important decision is to fight for one’s moral truth, no matter how harsh the repercussions may be. When John and his wife, Elizabeth discuss the happenings in the town, he only somewhat confesses about his lechery to her, in which he can be condemned for. She doesn’t take it the way he thinks she will and she leaves everything...
Words: 818 - Pages: 4
...play The Crucible , John Proctor is the tragic hero of the play because his sin has refrained him from, speaking upon against what is wrong, when he does speak up it is too late, then finally his pride is so strong that it leads to his downfall, and his dedication to his family makes him decide to do the wrong thing. Proctor has many flaws, but even with them he is truly a good person, he showed nonconformity by not doing something he doesn't believe in, An example is when Hale asked him why he wasn't going to church he said,”I think, sometimes, the man dreams cathedrals, not clapboard meetin' houses.”(Act2 pg.65). This implying that he feels that Parris cares more about wealth and reputation he gains from it rather than Christian morals.Proctor also doesn't support that Parris views himself as a nobleman, who doesn't need to conform to Parris warped view of Christianity and Puritan belief.He also portrays brilliant characteristics for his children to look up to because he put up a fight for his family until his last breath. John Proctor’s dedication and trust in people make him a tragic hero because if John didn’t truly believe that Abigail would spare him and his family he probably would have stayed quiet.Proctor believes at the...
Words: 799 - Pages: 4
