If life was judged on the strict categorization of selfish or sacrificial, where would the majority of the people fall? In The Crucible, the character John Proctor can be seen as either selfish of sacrificial, depending on the point of view. He can be seen as selfish because he cheated on his wife while she was bedridden from sickness. Although others argue that Proctor was sacrificial because he revealed himself as a lecher to save those accused of witchcraft and because he died to save his name and the names of his friends. John Proctor was more sacrificial because one selfish action should not define a person’s life as a whole.
John Proctor is a sacrificial character because he revealed himself as a lecher in attempt to save those accused of witchcraft. By revealing Abigail 's true intentions with the accusation, he thought maybe the court would call off the witch hunt. When Proctor first told Abigail about his idea, she replied by saying “You will confess to fornication? In the court?” which Proctor responded with “If you will have it so, so I will tell it” (Miller 142). This shows that he does not want to tarnish his name with the sin of adultery, however, if Abigail won’t call off the witch hunt herself, Proctor will confess in order to save his wife as well as the rest of the accused. When Proctor actually confessed, he stated, “But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands” (Miller 102). This is compelling evidence because