crucible essay about john proctor

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The Crucible (essay on John Proctor)

In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor is a flawed, conflicted character. Proctor is a man whose mistakes lead him to a place of self-doubt. Throughout the novel, he teteers on an inner scale of self-confidence and self-worth vs. self-hatred and self-deprecation. It is only at the end of the novel that he decides that his identity is worth clinging onto, although, paradoxically, this means being hanged. It is an important realization for Proctor that he would rather die as himself, with at least a shred of dignity and self-worth, than live feeling confined, oppressed, and used by Danforth and the church. Proctor is both a failure and an ultimate hero because his fatal mistake, his moral sin, leads him to acknowledge his flaws, forgive himself, and realize his personal worth and integrity.

Prior to the events in the story, John Proctor has a short-lived affair with Abigail Williams, who was the servant of Proctor and his wife Elizabeth. Out of some place of desperation or loneliness, and discontentedness with himself, Proctor lusted for this young, charming girl. He regrets his decision immensely and falls into a place of despair and self-hatred, convinced he can never right his wrong and is now forever dishonorable and sinful. Great stress is put on his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth, whom he still loves. There is a feeling of separation between them, a cold distance that discomforts them both. At the end of the play, Danforth and the others allow Elizabeth to see John before he is set to be hanged, his punishment for refusing to admit to witchcraft. John looks to his wife to help him justify his actions. Elizabeth tells her husband, “John, it come naught that I should forgive you, if you’ll not forgive yourself” (136). Elizabeth understands that John feels as though she must forgive him before he can forgive himself. But she also knows that ultimately, he must come to terms with his actions and that he can only set himself free from his burdensome guilt—she can’t do that for him. Throughout Proctor’s conversation with Elizabeth, he demonstrates that he is wrangling with his notions of morality, self-worth, and self-forgiveness. His determination to redeem himself and willingness to own up to what he did prove that despite making an appalling moral error, he is still a moral hero.

Proctor ultimately decides to deny allegations of witchcraft. He refuses to live under the false pretense of committing and admitting to witchcraft, appeasing the church, and being used as another name in the storm of accusations and anxiety occurring in Salem. By letting himself be hurled into the pool of the accused, Proctor feels that the church is taking his soul and using him, an important name in town, to make their cause look legitimate. He says, “God knows how black my sins are!” (142) and in spite of this, God doesn’t need his name nailed up on the church doors for the world to see—this matter is between him and God. Proctor’s inner strength and sense of self-worth are demonstrated when he declares to Danforth and Parris, “You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs” (144). Proctor strives to come to terms with his past sins and acknowledge that he is more than his shortcomings—they needn’t forever weight him down. Similar to how Proctor’s decision to be hanged or confess changes back and forth, his belief in himself wavers, but he finally decides to forgive himself: in an ultimate inner battle for self-worth, Proctor prevails. He dies as himself, cognizant of his righteousness as well as of his flaws.

Throughout the play, John Proctor’s mistakes weigh him down and lead him to a place of self-doubt. Ultimately, he is able to forgive himself and learns to view himself as no less of a person than anyone else despite moral wrongs he has committed in the past. Ironically, by fully believing in himself and deciding that his identity is worth not giving up to the merciless Danforth and Parris, he is hanged. However, Proctor’s life ends when he is truly himself, flaws included, rather than continuing to live feeling used and oppressed by the church. Realizing that he would rather die as himself demonstrates Proctor’s growth and courage, making him worthy of the title moral hero. A man who has done no wrong is surely moral, but a man who has done wrong, recognizes it, finds a way to forgive himself, and learns deeper meaning from this emotional trauma is a moral hero.

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'The Crucible' Character Study: John Proctor

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Arthur Miller drew inspiration from Greek tragedies in his plays. Like many of the storylines from Ancient Greece, " The Crucible " charts the downfall of a tragic hero: John Proctor.

Proctor is the main male character of this modern classic and his story is key throughout the play's four acts. Actors portraying Proctor and students studying Miller's tragic play will find it useful to learn a bit more about this character.

Who Is John Proctor?

John Proctor is one of the key characters in " The Crucible " and can be considered the leading male role of the play. Because of his importance, we know more about him than almost anyone else in this tragedy.

• 30-year-old farmer.
• Married to a pious woman: Elizabeth Proctor .
• Father of three boys.
• Christian, yet dissatisfied with the way Rev. Parris runs the church.
• Doubts the existence of witchcraft.
• Despises injustice, yet feels guilty because of his extra-marital affair with 17-year-old Abigail Williams .

Proctor's Kindness and Anger

John Proctor is a kind man in many ways. In Act One, the audience first sees him entering the Parris household to check on the health of the reverend's ill daughter. He is good natured with fellow villagers such as Giles Corey, Rebecca Nurse, and others. Even with adversaries, he is slow to anger.

But when provoked, he does get angry. One of his flaws is his temper. When friendly discussion does not work, Proctor will resort to shouting and even physical violence.

There are occasions throughout the play when he threatens to whip his wife, his servant-girl, and his ex-mistress. Still, he remains a sympathetic character because his anger is generated by the unjust society which he inhabits. The more the town becomes collectively paranoid, the more he rages.

Proctor's Pride and Self-Esteem

Proctor's character contains a caustic blend of pride and self-loathing, a very puritanical combination indeed. On the one hand, he takes pride in his farm and his community. He is an independent spirit who has cultivated the wilderness and transformed it into farmland. Furthermore, his sense of religion and communal spirit has led to many public contributions. In fact, he helped construct the town's church.

His self-esteem sets him apart from other members of the town, such as the Putnams, who feel one must obey authority at all costs. Instead, John Proctor speaks his mind when he recognizes injustice. Throughout the play, he openly disagrees with the actions of Reverend Parris, a choice that ultimately leads to his execution.

Proctor the Sinner

Despite his prideful ways, John Proctor describes himself as a "sinner." He has cheated on his wife, and he is loath to admit the crime to anyone else. There are moments when his anger and disgust towards himself burst forth, such as in the climactic moment when he exclaims to Judge Danforth : "I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours."

Proctor's flaws make him human. If he didn't have them, he wouldn't be a tragic hero. If the protagonist were a flawless hero, there would be no tragedy, even if the hero died at the end. A tragic hero, like John Proctor, is created when the protagonist uncovers the source of his downfall. When Proctor accomplishes this, he has the strength to stand up to the morally bankrupt society and dies in defense of truth.

Essays about John Proctor might do well to explore the character arc that occurs throughout the play. How and why does John Proctor change?

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The Crucible

Arthur miller, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions, john proctor quotes in the crucible.

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John Proctor: The Moral Center of "The Crucible"

Table of contents, introduction, the human flaws of john proctor, proctor as a symbol of resistance, the price of integrity, proctor as a tragic hero, works cited.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Crucible — “The Crucible” by John Proctor: Reputation Analysis

"The Crucible" by John Proctor: Reputation Analysis

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 669 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

To reputation, early portrayal of john proctor, impact of reputation on proctor's actions, evolution of proctor's reputation.

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