ipl-logo

Respect And Reputation In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

937 Words4 Pages

Respect is a quality that, although highly valued, is very hard to attain. Therefore, once you achieve the point of being respected in society, it is important to maintain a good reputation to avoid losing that title. Reputation, which goes hand in hand with respect, is the way you are viewed to an outsider or stranger. On the contrary, your actions are not necessarily perceived as your reputation; rather, reputation is what people in the society believe to be your actions. During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, many innocent citizens had their reputation and level of respect tarnished as a result of gossip that had been spread. Arthur Miller, author of the playwright The Crucible, carries the idea of respect and reputation throughout the drama …show more content…

Once convicted, the “criminals” chose amongst two options that would ultimately determine their fate. The first, which a majority of the population chose, was a matter of admitting to committing the crime, whether guilty or not, and claiming to return their faith to god. When following this path, the victims were left unharmed and were respected for their change of fate; in reality, most, if not all, were completely innocent. On the other hand, the second option resulted in definite fatality; this option was a matter of standing up for oneself and denying any sort of involvement with witchcraft. Those who chose this route had too much pride to follow the dominant beliefs and assimilate into everybody’s …show more content…

However, Warren, in spite of the fear of death, turned against Proctor. John, determined to set the record straight, admitted his actions of adultery with Abigail, claiming that this had been “a whore's vengeance, and you must see it now”; he argued that Williams was trying to take Proctor for herself. Proctor also shares that “a man will not cast away his good name”; in other words, he would not tarnish his reputation with a lie obtaining such severity. This demonstrated a major change in character for Proctor; after caring so much about the way he was viewed in society, he destroyed his reputation in an instant in the hopes of fighting for

Show More
Related
807 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout history the fear of corruption and change has compelled people to go to drastic measures to prevent it. The Crucible, a play by arthur Miller, is set in an environment of religious citizens who fear that the devil and witchcraft will corrupt their society. Much like The Crucible, McCarthyism caused the citizens in America to fear corruption of the government by communism. Arthur Miller used his play the crucible as a direct response to McCarthyism and through this play Miller writes about the Salem witch trials during the McCarthy period to comment on how history repeats itself. The social and political factors in The Crucible resemble those in America during the red scare and McCarthyism.

Read More
647 Words | 3 Pages

The dictionary defines a crucible as a place or occasion of severe tests or trials. During the late seventeenth century, many places around the world began to have an increased fear of the supernatural. Witch trials sparked by these fears brought great pressure upon all involved. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the people of Salem were placed under a lot of pressure as the witch trials were occurring. With pressure mounting, three men from the story each struggled in a different manner; Parris becoming fearful and cowardly, Hale undergoing a change in character, and Proctor taking a stand for what he believed to be right.

Read More
83 Words | 1 Pages

In Salem, having a good reputation is extremely important. You are accepted by society, and if you don’t have a good reputation you will be completely rejected. John Proctor would no longer be thought of an honorably straight and moral person. Reverend Parris would lose all of his respect and not be accepted by the citizens. And Judge Danforth would always be questioned and looked bad upon for accusing the innocent.

Read More
446 Words | 2 Pages

Many claims are located in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. From themes of honor to themes of power. And many characters show these themes through the actions they perform and the words they spoke. But there is only one dominant theme, or claim, in The Crucible. Both Parris and Proctor convey the dominant claim that preservation of reputation is extremely important.

Read More
1112 Words | 5 Pages

As Bob Marley once said, “The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” Integrity is the quality of being honest and upholding one’s morals and principles. Living in a fast-paced and ever-changing society, human beings have come into contact with adversity and hardship all throughout history. Those who act with integrity during tough times have a major influence on those around them, and taking a stand and upholding ones’ beliefs and morals at great self sacrifice can inspire and encourage others to do the same. Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, The Crucible is a prime example of upholding integrity, and the characters within the play face difficult choices between doing

Read More
1095 Words | 5 Pages

The Crucible - Conflict Analysis John Proctor Internal: John Proctor’s most eminent internal conflict is over the sin he has committed, adultery. Proctor cheated on his wife with Abigail Williams, and this makes Proctor feel incredibly guilty because in the town, he is “respected and even feared” (19). He tried very hard, and succeeded, with keeping this moral crime to himself. He still walked about Salem as if he was “an untroubled soul,” (21) however, avoiding the sin again would be a difficult task. Abigail flirts with him, in attempt to have him for one last night, and it’s obvious Proctor has an arduous time pushing her away.

Read More
1253 Words | 6 Pages

A stain in one’s name is a serious dishonor. Rumors, as well as wrongful actions, affect how the world sees us and how we see the world. Thus human beings are victims of their own reputation. To avoid this, one tends to use pride as a shield. However, instead of protecting us, pride hurts us even more by impeding us from solving our issues.

Read More
1093 Words | 5 Pages

Reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. Reputation can directly correlate with pride, which is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one 's own achievements. Reputations are very important to the characters in The Crucible and if they want to preserve their reputation, through pride, they do whatever is necessary to keep it. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the characters John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Judge Danforth all show dramatic actions to preserve their reputations, each of these characters either hurt themselves or others by being prideful and dishonest for the sake of their good name. There are several ways that Abigail Williams shows her objective of preserving her reputation in the book.

Read More
987 Words | 4 Pages

When people think of the play, “The Crucible”, they usually picture the witch trials and women being hanged, but Arthur Miller depicts the witch trials in a completely new light. He shows through a story that the witch trials were much more than just people calling others witches. There was deceit, pain, greed, and more. Through the play, we follow the character, Abigail, observe her actions and their consequences. We witness the lives of people she impacts, what happens to them, and how many times she lies to get her way.

Read More
1779 Words | 8 Pages

In Arthur Miller's play, dignity and reflection of one's self plays an important role in what makes up a person's character. Through John Proctor's actions and words, Miller's element of tragedy that emphasizes laying down one's life for personal dignity is demonstrated in The Crucible as people will go any extent to accomplish their desires and fight for their beliefs, despite the consequences because they are trying to protect who they are. Tragedy lies within

Read More
1218 Words | 5 Pages

Goodness and nobility is determined by an individual’s morality and their willingness to follow a virtuous path in their life. It is also determined by the ability of an individual to acknowledge their shortcomings and become more self-aware. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is a good man as he showcases righteous morals and principles. This is shown, as he ends his affair with Abigail, protects his wife and his friends’ wives, and dies to preserve his integrity and honour. First, John Proctor shows his goodness, by refusing the physical advances of Abigail, who wishes to continue their love affair.

Read More
761 Words | 4 Pages

Honor is what's on the inside Aristotle, an ancient philosopher, once said “You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.” Honor is an important trait to have in a human being. In The Crucible John Proctor is faced with tough choices that describe his character and proves his honor to friends, family and to the community. Author Miller proves in The Crucible John Proctor is an honorable man by Johns loyalty, risking his good name and a good husband.

Read More
609 Words | 3 Pages

Hero: A person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities; however, heroism is not synonymous with perfection. Man can be a hero in spite of having some flaws. This is apparent in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, a story about the Salem Witch Trials in which Abigail Williams accuses dozens of innocent people of witchcraft. Despite being flawed, John Proctor, Reverend Hale, and Elizabeth Proctor can demonstrate their heroism in The Crucible. John Proctor is shown to be both a hero and a flawed man in regards to his lechery.

Read More
551 Words | 3 Pages

In a setting of Salem, Massachusetts 1692, religion is the direct reflection of one's social standing. Reputation is extremely important for the town, as it is your only way to get a fair hearing and respect from the people. The protectiveness of reputation is necessary in The Crucible to justify yourself when presented with fallacious arguments. In this play the importance of reputation is revealed though the uses of ethos, logos and pathos. The protectiveness of reputation is uncovered through various characters such as Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris, and John Proctor.

Read More
566 Words | 3 Pages

In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor was accused of witchcraft. John Proctor was a man of great integrity and knew he did nothing wrong. He was given the choice to confess and lie or be hung. Being the honest and stubborn man that he was, he decided his name was more important than his life. John struggled both internally and with others while trying to fight for what he thought was right.

Read More

More about Respect And Reputation In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Related Topics

Open Document