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John Proctor's Pride In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

589 Words3 Pages

Naturally, people feel that a flaws should be positive, however in Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible one of the main characters, John Proctor has destructive flaws that lead to his demise. John Proctor suffers a change in fortune during the play and his tragic flaws are his pride, and concern for those around him. John Proctor’s excessive pride causes his downfall, as shown in court when he exclaims to Mr. Danforth, “I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name- you will believe me, Mr. Danforth! My wife is innocent…”, in other words John Proctor is explaining how he has committed adultery with Abigail Williams, and has ruined his name by confessing this sin (111). In order for his statement to be trusted by the court, Elizabeth Proctor is brought in to testify with her husband, and prove his truthfulness. Seeing as that Elizabeth has never lied during their marriage, John believes that she will support his confession, by stating the truth. After signing the witchcraft confession statement, and after being notified that it will be nailed to the church for the town of Salem to see, John Proctor begins to beg and cry not to hang his confession on the church, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot …show more content…

Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (143). To John Proctor, singing a confession

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Being stripped of pride has the power to destroy us all. John Hale in the story of the Crucible is described at first as an “eager-eyed intellectual” (33) who is immensely proud of his knowledge and expertise in the art of witchcraft. He is the major force behind witch trials at first, however, over the course of the play, he undergoes a transformation. John begins to realize that it is the court’s pride in its “noble cause” that corrupts itself and blinds it from the truth of the matter. When Hale starts listening to the testimony of John Proctor, he begins to oppose the unfair trials of innocents.

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John Proctor here is reinstating that he wants to continue if he has his name and if Danforth and the court cannot provide that to him he does not know how he could possibly go on. Based on the quote John’s quality of life would eventually prove to be dreary if he did confess as he would feel like he no longer had a soul. Although John knew it would be a risk for him to confess his wife helped convince him that life was worth living, but it’s his own choice. Elizabeth sorrowfully states to John “Do what you will. But let none be your judge.

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Proctor feels that if Elizabeth forgives him then he can move on, this also affects the trials and why he feels guilty. Later, after the trials are over and on the day the hangings are supposed to take place, Elizabeth talks to John. He asks her if she would forgive him and support him if he confessed to save his life and again she says he can only forgive himself.

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Proctor says, “In the proper place - where my beasts are bedded. On the last night of my joy, some eight months past, she used to serve me in my house sir” This act of confession shows how much he loves Elizabeth and what he’s willing to do to protect her. Abigail had told proctor that she had never seen any spirits, but she had told him when they were alone. Proctor had to confess in order to prove that abigail would want to hurt Elizabeth and she had been lying about the witches and the devil.

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Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not wort the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!".

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“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name?

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Proctor’s Stand Up A parent raises a child in their belief system because it is their duty as a parent to teach them what is right and wrong. It is the child’s decision to continue to pursue that belief. However, if the child decided to stray away from such beliefs they can face persecution from their own family. John Proctor serves as the voice of reason and justice in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

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Her main target, Elizabeth Proctor. Once John figures out that the “witchcraft” is just a ploy by Abigail, he is reluctant to tell anyone of it. Because his pride and fear of the public’s opinion has compelled him to withhold this information from the court. That is until, Elizabeth is accused and is taken to court. Once his wife is taken, John is willing to go to any

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In the Crucible, Arthur Miller shows two imperfect characters – John Proctor and Abigail Williams. The two imperfect characters affect the Crucible in many ways- they affect the plot, tone, and the reader of the book. First, imperfect characters affect the plot and tone. In the beginning of the Crucible, Abigail Williams and other girls drink blood and dance in the forest, naked. Because even though John proctor’s and Abigail Williams

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He had already told Danforth his confession, but then Danforth asked him to sign his name to the confession. John Proctor knew that if he did, his name would be ruined. He knows that this confession takes away his name, and that he would have to live with that lie the rest of his life. In order to show personal integrity, one mustn’t tell a lie just to be able to live as it would make people feel guilty about something they didn’t do. At the very end of the play, John Proctor was to be hanged for witchcraft, as he did not sign to something he did not do.

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pg. 1339. This is an expression of his Pride because he is willing to damn God’s name in order to express his emotions toward the judgement of the innocent. And in Act IV, his last expression of pride, he states, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!

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You saw her with a crowd, you said. Now you—”. This illustrated that is still suspicious of John, showing that she is not a completely supportive wife. John Proctor decided to confess, he was handed the paper where he was told to sign his name to make the confession official. At this moment Proctor knew he had to keep his integrity and not sign the paper.

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Proctor says “ You are the high court, your word is good enough! tell them i confessed myself; say proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman, but my name cannot!”. In the quote John Proctor does not want written proof that he was a witch because he wants to protect his friends and not throw them under the bus. This means he cares for his friends and is truly a good man. Proctor says; “ let them that near dead now take their souls, it is pretence to me.”

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ACT 4: “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name?

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Then, John was accused of witchcraft. He was given the choice to tell the truth and be prosecuted or confess to a crime he didn’t commit and be set free. He chose to tell the truth and got sent to jail. During this time, he said “... what is John Proctor? I think it is honest” (page 138).

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