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Theme Of Guilt In The Crucible

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Recommended: The crucible supplemental reading

Robbie Panta
Outcomes of Unforgivable Sins
François-Marie, a famous enlightenment writer once said, “It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one” (Volaire 42). The play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, contains many different types of guilt in the main character, John Proctor. Many innocent people in the Salem are hanged while the guilty people are thought of as saints. During this play, a young woman, Abigail Williams, accuses innocent people for witchcraft and seeks for more attention. Proctor is a farmer who lives in Salem Massachusetts. Proctor knows that the whole trial is a fraud and decides to inform the court that the accusers are pretending and lying. During the trials, Proctor found himself guilty for …show more content…

Proctor knew that by confessing, it would only make the court look better but by not confessing, the court would hang him. Proctor begs to Judge Danforth, “How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”(132). Proctor knows that if he signs the confession, there will be a paper about it in the church door. Proctor values his life but, he does not want to be remembered as a liar who is willing to do whatever it takes for his own life. Also, Proctor is thinks about his children. He does not want to be a bad role model for their children. During the scene where Proctor had the choice to confess, “Proctor tears the paper and crumples it and he is weeping in fury, but erect”(133). Proctor tears the confession paper because he realizes that honor is more important. He decided to stop living a sinful life of lies and become a better person so, he refuses to get anyone else involved with the witchcraft controversy. Proctor has had a new perspective of the trails now the he realizes all of the mistakes he has made. In the beginning of the play, Proctors perspective towards the hangings was the avoid and not be involved in it in any way. Now, Proctor realizes that by confessing, there will be blame set on other innocent people so by ripping the confession paper, it will not make the court look better. Proctor also realizes that confessing would affect many other people in Salem and would not put a legacy in his

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The reason Proctor gives is that he wants to be remembered as a man who is honest and royal to his wife, and gets annoyed when the judge asks for a signature for confession. He insists what he has said is enough, and even so they would not let him off the hook (A. Miller). John Proctor, in fact, is strong willed enough to ignore herd mentality that pressures him to his last moments, but even his decision wavers between confess and not to confess, showing how powerful herd mentality is. That is from those who are accused, there are also the by-standers, like the judges, villagers, and etcetera. Nobody stands up for the accused directly in the entire play, even if they feel really guilty about all the people dying, they still did not step up and say something (Sundstrand).

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He cared greatly about his family and wife even though Elizabeth was often distant towards him. In the end of the play, Proctor chooses to die rather than sign his confession, ratting out his friends and ruining his good name in the town. He did this to protect the reputation of his children so they won’t have to grow up with a lying father. Lying went against Protctors’ views and that ideal is prevalent throughout the entire play. It is revealed that as soon as he had an affair with Abigail, he confessed to Elizabeth the next day because of the guilt he was carrying around.

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Proctor talks good about the people who decided not to confess. He Doesn't want to say anything that will harm them. Proctor doesn't think he’s doing the right thing by confessing and wants to change his mind to do the right thing. John proctor

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