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Proctor's Crime Of Adultery In The Crucible

614 Words3 Pages

Certain crimes such as: Adultery, Murder and Theft, during the Puritan era were always diagnosed as inhumane and ruined a person's reputation, despite any attempt of redemption. Proctor’s crime of adultery is a key element in the starting of the salem witch trials and the devastating end. Proctors situation alternates throughout the novel consistently by other villagers and even Proctor himself. His crime at first is tried to be subdued by himself then it is later used as evidence in a trial and finally it is used as a confession however it ultimately is not believed. To begin Proctor first tries to hide is crime from the other villagers however Abigail seems to want to expose their relationship. Proctor’s crime of adultery is a form of baggage that he must carry for the rest of his life. Therefore Proctor does everything to keep his secret safe however his partner in adultery, Abigail Williams, thinks otherwise. In the first interaction where the reader is introduced to their vulgar crime Proctor is speaking to Abigail outside Reverend Parris's’ home. During this interaction Proctor states “ Abby,I may think …show more content…

Proctor’s case is ultimately not believed by the court because Elizabeth did not tell the truth, therefore he will pay the consequences of his actions according to the court. The morning before his conviction, he speaks to his wife Abigail and confesses by saying “I cannot mount gibbet like a saint, it is fraud, My Honesty is broke, Elizabeth, I am no good man, nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before.” (Miller 126). By this quotation in the text the reader is able to tell that Proctor, who knows is going to die, expresses his disappointment in himself and asks Elizabeth for forgiveness for his crime of adultery. This in turn shows the sporadic change of proctors situation. Starting as a secret, later becoming evidence and finally being used as a

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Elizabeth, who has never told a lie, is aware of the affair and believes her husband should “tell [Ezekiel] what [Abigail] said to [him] last week… She said it had naught to do with witchcraft, did she not?” (53) Proctor chooses to protect his honour instead and sacrifice all the innocent victims. Proctors reputation means more to him then stopping the trials. ultimately he has the power and proof to stop the trials and save all of the innocent casualties but not at the risk of his affair being exposed.

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proctor tries to completely deny the affair he tells Abigail they “Never touched.” Abigail tried to argue and bring out the truth but Proctor keeps on denying it. Proctor will do anything to keep his affair undercover. Throughout the play Proctor realizes

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He no longer has to worry about Williams taunting him, but now his name, the one thing he treasures most, is ruined. Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, finds out the truth, and confronts him about it. Proctor [with solemn warning]: You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason [...] judge your husband any more. I have forgot Abigail, and- Elizabeth:

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I have known her." His words represent how he has had an affair with Abigail and by this, he admits to it in court. But, Proctor's actions are motivated not by a desire to save himself but by his belief in justice

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Arthur Miller’s The Crucible was written when Joseph R. McCarthy sprung forward with a list of so-called communists in our government. This was an action that helped create the red scare throughout america, in which many would be accused of communism with little proof. Miller showed that by writing what's seen as a metaphor for a modern day witch hunt. His story gives us a good chance to know the characters with rich text allowing deeper analyzation of them. Many become personally affected in which we can see following each ACT.

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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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Likewise, when Elizabeth is brought before Danforth to verify Proctor’s confession, she lies to protect her husband, whom she refers to as a “goodly man,” from suspicion (Miller, 113). The affair may have caused Elizabeth to doubt Proctor but both parties still care deeply for each other and try to protect each other from harm. Even in his last moments, Proctor’s last words- “Show honor now, show a stony heart and sink them with it!”- were directed toward Elizabeth and were full of love and care (Miller, 144). Proctor may have sinned but his regret over his affair with Abigail and the trouble he had brought upon his wife justifies his

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Since Proctor did not confess, this allowed for his children to inherit his land which is an important resource in the village. His death leaves his children with a father that they can look up to, and his wife’s relationship with him ‘good.’ Elizabeth : “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” (Miller, 116) Before his wife is thrown into custody, there is tension between them because he was alone with Abigail for an instance and this reminds Elizabeth of the affair, but most importantly instills regret in Proctor’s heart, “still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart.”

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Proctor and Abigail have a conversation, and John tells her how he sometimes thinks of her but he can’t ever have a relationship with her. “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again” (Miller 177). This shows how Proctor regrets what he has done and cuts all ties with Abby, but is still too afraid to let the truth be known.

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Abigail does all this for the man that she loves and had an affair with, John Proctor. If the reader begins to focus on John, his actions and what he stands for, they are easily able to recognize he portrays characteristics of the flawed nature of an individual. It is shown through the fact that he had an affair, isn’t able to forgive himself, and at the end of the book, is unable to give up something dear to him to save himself and others. When analyzing John Proctor, the first thing that stands out is that he had an affair with a 17 year-old Abigail Williams. Proctor has a wife who loves him and three children but still decides to stray from his family and fancies someone else.

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A man of conscience is one who is aware of his moral and ethical beliefs and judgments and one who will prefer right over wrong. The life of such man is ruled by the desire to seek the truth and justice in all that surrounds him, including himself. These attributes are seen in both character, John Proctor from Arthur Miller’s play, “The Crucible”, set in Salem in the early seventeenth century and in Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” set in New York in 1950. In the play “The Crucible” set in the town of Salem which is burdened by the belief of witches, we are introduced to the main character John Proctor.

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Proctor doubts his goodness and constantly seeks forgiveness. This is evident when he says "I cannot mount the giblet like a saint, my honesty is broke elizebeth, I am no good man. When Proctor finally has the bravery to go to court, despite the risk of exposure, he breaks down under the pressure of Abigails power and denounces god in frustration. As a result of this he is arrested. In act four, Proctor's integrity outweighs his will to live.

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Proctor’s guilt is present when he, attempts to pay for his sins by giving his wife materialistic objects, hesitates to obey his wife's suggestion to accuse Abigail of false bewitchment, and breaks out in anger for not wanting to be judged any longer. The romantic relationship between the Proctor’s is undoubtedly extinguished, but even casual engagement cannot exist without tension since everything John Proctor says to Elizabeth is a symbol of repentance. He offers Elizabeth the possession of a cow and expresses “with a grin” that all he

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He defends his wife and tells the court that his wife fired Abigail because of their affair. When the court brought Elizabeth Proctor into the court and asked her about the affair she denied it. Even though she knew the affair was true she denied it because she didn’t know Proctor had confessed and wanted to take her husband’s name

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