ipl-logo

How Does John Proctor Build Goodness In The Crucible

782 Words4 Pages

I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from dogs (Miller 300). This quote is taken from The Crucible, a play about the New Salem Witch trials that is an allegory for the Red Scare. During this time, people not only accused people of being witches for vengeance but because of the mass hysteria that frightened everyone. The only way to save yourself from execution is to give confessions and convict others. This caused major character developments within the people during this time. In the Crucible, John Proctor begins the play as a manipulative liar with anger issues who undergoes a change when his wife is accused of witchcraft, and by the conclusion of the play John Proctor …show more content…

You forget nothin and forgive nothin. Learn about charity women. I have not moved from there to there without i think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. (Miller 157)” This example shows clearly that he is manipulating his wife into thinking that it is her fault that her husband committed lechery with Abigail. Therefore, passing his sin to her and making her feel guilty and unworthy of him. Another trait John had was anger issues. He expressed this many times in the play, including when he is going to whip Mary because she’s going to town to help find the devil. As Proctor is getting the whip ready full of anger, Mary continues to say “I'll not stand whipping any more! Miller 313)”. Miller 183-313. By her saying that, it shows that whipping is often an event for her. Throughout the play there is a threat of whipping a lot. John is the one who suggests most of them out of anger. That is until his wife gets accused. When John’s wife gets accused and taken for witchcraft, he realizes his manipulation and anger issues will not save her. He also realizes he will have to come to terms with admitting to the affair with …show more content…

Another example of how he is changing is when he is reciting bible references to Mary including the damned of liars and when he says, “Mary remember the angel Rapheal do that which is good (Miller 1079)”. Miller 1070-1080. This shows instead of lasting out with anger, he decided to try and help Mary decide what to do by reciting and referencing the Bible. This helps his development towards the end of the play. John Proctor by the end of the play is an honest man who could not lie any further. Even though he gave a confession with a signature in front of the court, the priests, his wife, and two of their friends. In the end, he does not go through with it. He rips it in half and states, “I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (Miller 730)”. The. And with that he is hung. Miller 580-787. By ripping up the confession he gave his life to them. He could not bear lying any further. This truly shows how John became an honest man in The Crucible. In the Crucible, John Proctor begins the play as a manipulative liar with anger issues who undergoes a change when his wife is accused of witchcraft, and by the conclusion of the play John Proctor becomes an honest

Show More
Related
549 Words | 3 Pages

Abigail uses this power throughout the court by accusing people and going to extreme measures to prove herself. In the Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, makes characters change from beginning to end based on certain events. To begin with, the Crucible is about courage. John Proctor went against his will to testify as a God willing man. He refused to lie when he was accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams.

Read More
810 Words | 4 Pages

In any successful story the protagonist must go through a thorough change in which they see things and do things in a “new light.’ In The Crucible John Proctor, the protagonist starts off as adulterous deceiving man but as the story progresses he develops into a respectful, wise and intellectual character. Throughout The Crucible John Procter redevelops his relationship with his wife, his honesty with others in Salem, and his moral view of what is right and wrong. When John Procter and his wife are first introduced into the story there seems to be a discerning fervor between the two “love birds” in the story. Especially when Elizabeth is questioned by John on why she feels sad the stage directions say that “She [Elizabeth] doesn’t want friction and yet she must” (Miller 166).

Read More
779 Words | 4 Pages

The couples relationship was a bad relationship but turned into a good one. John had to be hanged for what he has done but Elizabeth forgave him for his crimes. Elizabeth also learned to tell the truth and to never use witchcraft because it can get her in serious trouble with the town. Before this all went down John was very complacent person to get his wife back and fix his

Read More
748 Words | 3 Pages

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a phenomenal play containing wide varieties of static and dynamic characters. A few main characters are very dynamic and change immensely throughout the play completely shifting former beliefs and ideas. John Proctor is one of these characters that go through this metamorphosis. In the beginning of The Crucible, John Proctor is a man burdened by his sins, but throughout the play his morals and true nature are tested and brought into light, and by the end he learns to accept forgiveness and truly finds the goodness he had been seeking in himself.

Read More
1649 Words | 7 Pages

[Proctor, his eyes full of tears:] I can… 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” (1164). Proctor faces an internal struggle throughout The Crucible in that he believes himself to be irredeemably sinful. He and Elizabeth both know of his affair with Abigail. Meanwhile, Proctor also chooses not to go to church on Sundays because he dislikes Parris and his ways.

Read More
260 Words | 2 Pages

As the one of the most important characters in the Crucible, John Proctor symbols common human nature and goodness of a person. He is a very respectable man of the Salem community, and because of his human nature, he did make a mistake that violated the adultery sin of the Ten Commandments. Whatever the sins of others, John Proctor’s publicized position robs him of his credibility. But John still has his goodness, he feels sorry for his wife, still loves her, and he makes the right choice in the end of the play. He was going to confess himself of the witchcraft to being alive, but he is aware that what such a shame to protect himself instead of refusing to sacrifice soul to save his life by admitting being with devils.

Read More
296 Words | 2 Pages

John Proctor, character in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, wishes to protect his reputation from the town of Salem. While already admitting to the court that he cheated on his wife, he is also suspected of practicing witchcraft. During this time, it was forbidden to mention witches and the devil, so Proctor was walking on thin ice. Towards the end of Act 4, Part 6 of The Crucible, John Proctor signs the confession paper, but instead of giving it to the court, he rips up the paper to avoid public humiliation and hanging for something he did not actively commit. John Proctor is the hero of this story because he stands up against the corrupt court and refuses to lose his good name by confessing to lies, even if it means his death.

Read More
984 Words | 4 Pages

During the time this play took place and the religion the people believed in, committing adultery was the ultimate sin next to conforming with the devil. In this case, John not only was charged with adultery but also conforming with the devil because both his wife and Elizabeth lied to the judges denying the affair causing him to be accused of

Read More
1595 Words | 7 Pages

How john Proctor was a dynamic character in The Crucible and changed throughout the play because He confessed to adultry to try to save his wife. He wanted to prove that his wife never lies because the court thought she was lying about not being a witch. He wanted to prove that Abigail and the other girls were just lying to get attention. He wanted Elizabeths forgiveness so he tried to get it to confessing to people and explaining that he knew it was wrong. Therefore, How john Proctor was a dynamic character in The Crucible and changed throughout the play because He confessed to adultry to try to save his wife.

Read More
1207 Words | 5 Pages

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible takes place in a puritanical 17th century Salem town, where a distinct line separates right from wrong. Puritan ideals define the individuals living in Salem, and John Proctor, the protagonist, finds himself struggling to act on these ideals. Miller portrays Proctor in different lights throughout the course of the play, as Proctor often finds himself engrossed in the heat of the hysteria driven town. His character starts out lacking clear heroic or admirable features, as his disloyalty to his wife becomes apparent early on. Nevertheless, Proctor means to mend his marriage as he diverts his sinful relationship with Abigail Williams, and slowly his goodwill is depicted.

Read More
912 Words | 4 Pages

I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”(1272). These words by John Proctor exemplify his character by making, in my opinion, not a very wise decision. In the play The Crucible, John Proctor’s unwillingness can be seen as selfish because others hung before he confessed his affair with Abigail but he redeemed himself by undoing his confession and refusing to sell the court other names, which Arthur Miller used to convey a message about a crucible being put through a fire/trial and coming out in its purest form, through the character of John

Read More
1178 Words | 5 Pages

In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is the play's protagonist, he faces injustice and inner struggles against his own guilt creating a compelling vision of a character torn between societal demands and his own moral conscience. Arthur Miller explores John Proctors' guilt through his moral conscience and actions, emphasizing that guilt is both a burden and a drive for personal growth and redemption. Firstly, Proctor's affair put his relationship with Elizabeth to the test, causing mistrust and tension between them. You will not judge me, Elizabeth.

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

What the Audience learns from John Proctor throughout the Crucible is that John Proctor was a flawed character and the beginning of the play, but coming into conclusion of the play he regains himself because he chooses to act as a tragic hero by seeking justice for his wife, friends, and

Read More
566 Words | 3 Pages

In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor was accused of witchcraft. John Proctor was a man of great integrity and knew he did nothing wrong. He was given the choice to confess and lie or be hung. Being the honest and stubborn man that he was, he decided his name was more important than his life. John struggled both internally and with others while trying to fight for what he thought was right.

Read More
1067 Words | 5 Pages

This is where the reader really gets a glimpse of who John Proctor really is, he is a man who has cheated on his wife with a teenage girl. This a problem now, but in the 1600s this was unheard of. It says a lot about Proctor’s personality, it gives the reader look into Proctor’s scandalous lifestyle. It also sets up the story’s theme of love being more enduring than lust. In act three of The Crucible Proctor Says, "I have known her, sir.

Read More

More about How Does John Proctor Build Goodness In The Crucible

Open Document