Abigail And John Proctor In The Crucible

Plays frequently explore moral dimensions of choices people make and these often showcase the dramatic handling of situations. In the Crucible by Arthur Miller, the playwright uses characterization of Abigail and John Proctor to explore the moral dimensions of their choices.The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 17th century. It is a time where jealousy and suspicion spiked the philosophy of everyone in town. Neighbor turned on neighbor when occurances happened that could not be proved logically, such as witchcraft. Accusations turned into a mad hunt for witches whom did not have existence. These situations showcased the importance of moral choices when it comes down to characterization. Two characters that highlight these

In many ways, John Proctor is seen as a ‘tragic hero’, he is portrayed as a man with definite great values which he has flawed. Proctor isn’t initially seen as truly moral character, his adultery and redundancy to completely dismiss his religious beliefs and rites prove otherwise. His beliefs are dismissed due to the immortality Abigail displays in her characterisation that effectively rubs off on him. John chooses to be immoral, but he himself knows the difference between right and wrong, and his conscious still plays a big role in the decisions he makes, unlike with Abigail. Throughout his characterisation, John Proctor is seen as a man of integrity, despite his immoral actions. He willingly tries to fix and rebuild his relationship with Elizabeth, whilst at the same time showcasing his reluctance to keep away from Abigail by not resuming to meet with her. Throughout his immoral actions, he performs conscious choices that highlight the great ideal of his character. Not taking away from that, he proves to himself even more to be moral by the way he acts in situation. Essentially, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft, and John immediately runs to his wife's’ aid. He finds this situation an opportunity of regaining self-respect whilst at the same time committing moral and rightful actions. This showcases the ‘true’ side of John Proctor's’ character, he is a man who although has committed clear sin, believes in doing the right thing by being moral, and fully and willingly attempts to do right