Elizabeth Proctor's Search For Dignity In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

In the pristine 17th century Christian community, it became standardized in accordance to the Bible that, “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct” (English Standard Version, 1 Peter 3:1). Most wives in Salem during this time period closely follow their role outlined in the holy scripture, but Elizabeth Proctor undergoes a journey that alters her perception on this religious fixation. However, in his 1953 play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller traces Elizabeth Proctor’s search for her dignity as she discovers the true role of a proper wife to illustrate that given a world that defines a

As John is being prepared to hang, Elizabeth exclaims, “he have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” (Miller 145). One who has “his goodness” can be characterized as having good morals and a favorable personality. John has finally forgiven himself, and he developed his own “goodness.” The phrase “God forbid” indicates that, under no circumstance, should one’s goodness be taken away from him. Elizabeth actually forgives John and respects him as a husband, but Elizabeth did not bolster her efforts to prevent the hanging from happening because reverse the hanging because she loved John too much to let him die a dishonest man. The fact that Elizabeth lets him hang emphasizes the extent as to which she is willing to practice her new definition of dignity, one that would shock the residents of Salem. His honesty is more important than Elizabeth’s desire to have him in his life because she wants him to remain the good man he has fought to become. In truth, Elizabeth had always been a good wife who had fulfilled her duties, yet she struggled to emote her genuine feelings, but managed to eventually do so by acting as a wife upon her own accord. Through Elizabeth’s inner conflict and the ending of The Crucible, Miller continues to perpetuate the message that one’s dignity and emotional resolve are earned through actively acting upon one’s emotions, rather than just through the passage of ideas through an