Masculinity In The Crucible

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a historical fiction about the Salem witch trials in the late 1600’s. John Proctor plays the protagonist and throughout the storyline his masculinity decreases due to Abigail Williams.Throughout the play it's clear the female characters have more power than the men in the Theocratic society of Salem. The girls are put in court after being caught in the woods for witchcraft. They exploit their feminine traits and manipulate the men in charge of the court.Reverend Parris is a male figure who is sought to be the most feminine in the story. Parris just is worrying about his reputation in the town and down plays his role as a man to take control. By the end of the story John Proctor is hanged and the town is

I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face!nAnd is is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as i have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud-God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, burn together!” (Miller 111) Here it is seen that John completely lost his rationality and thought the only thing that is left to do is save Elizabeth and not himself. What lead up to this was Elizabeth’s complete control of the court. John could not speak out against her because she held to much power in the court and judges would not listen to John. It is even harder for the court to have John as a credible man because when he confesses his affair to the court his own wife Elizabeth denies it to attempt not to soil John’s reputation. This is very ironic because during the whole play and before it he does not whisper a word about the affair to the community to keep his name pure. When he finally does confess Elizabeth also try to keep John’s

Mary is a Proctor’s loyal servant that took the place of Abigail. It should come to a surprise that she turns against her master.”My name, he wants my name. “I’ll murder you.” he says,”if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court,” he says!”(Miller 110) Mary Warren’s false words to turn the court against John clearly shows the pinnacle of him having no power. Being the reputable farmer in the community to pleading out that he works with the devil shows Proctor’s character transform in a negative way. John Proctor is under complete control of Abigail. Her power that she has in the court all was from the affair with her and John Proctor. It is almost as if he has no other choices to make but the ones he took in the story. This is because he is forced to in his situation. Abigail Williams has her dominance and power over John Proctor in this one scene alone in the story. At the end of the play when John is taken away, he shows his last piece of power and masculinity when he rips his signature for his