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Role Of John Proctor's Conscience In The Crucible

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Once a peaceful town, Salem is struck with devilish desires. The Crucible, is a fictional tragedy by Arthur Miller. This play is a metaphor of the Salem witch trials of 1692, in Massachusetts. The sinful minded citizens of the town such as: John Proctor, Elizabeth, and Abigail contribute to the mass hysteria of witch hunts in the town. The town is mangled with acts of lechery, betrayal, and lies. Human pleasures devour true necessities and fade the moral conscience of the community. Abigail is a seductive serpent who pricks John Proctor with her sinful venom. Jealous of Elizabeth, Abigail takes matters into her own hands. Proctor gives in to the serpents desires and commits adultery against Elizabeth. Abigail then initiates a satanic ceremony …show more content…

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. Wipe it out of mind… We never touched. (Miller I.26). Proctor knows what he did was wrong and never wants to hurt Elizabeth again with his sinful acts. Therefore, Abigail is furious and wants Elizabeth out of the picture. John Proctor betrays himself by going against his marriage by being with Abigail. Proctor does not want to tell Elizabeth what he did so he would not hurt her. John becomes mentally distraught because of his sinful act. His mind is turned into a whirlpool of emotions filled with lust and hate. Not only is John Proctor guilty of betrayal, Abigail leads her friends astray. She betrays her uncle, and by using her friends to please her lustful desires by partaking in a satanic ritual. PARIS. I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff necked people to me… (Miller I.11). Paris realizes that Abigail has ruined his reputation by being accused of witchcraft. Paris is a self centered man who only cares about money. John Proctor is accused of being bewitched, and is sentenced to death. Elizabeth “never” lies, yet she lies so she can save her husband from being hung. Throughout this journey Elizabeth has stayed loyal to him even though he has hurt her in many ways. Abigail lies to Paris about them being naked in the woods and says there was only

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Elizabeth Proctor is an ethical woman with a substantial amount of moral values that she attempts to uphold. Elizabeth devotes her life to being honest and truthful along with her Puritan faith. Elizabeth lies for the sake of her husband due to the fact she does not want her husband to be known as an adulterer. However, Elizabeth also believes that Abigail is attempting to develop inconveniences within her marriage with John Proctor and even within the court case. First, she arrives in the courtroom and the judge demands her to look only at the judge to answer her questions.

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By confessing to his lecherous crime, Proctor tries in vain to prove that Abigail is making false accusations to the court for the sole reason of harming Elizabeth. This is all for naught, however, as Elizabeth eventually damns them both when she unintentionally lies to protect her

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Elizabeth Proctor was true to God, her husband, and family. At the beginning of the story, she and John Proctor, her husband, were known as the best judges of character. As the play continues and the plot unfolds, she and her family became the resounding examples of their judgments. This occurs when Elizabeth finds out that her husband has been having an affair with their housekeeper, Abigail Williams. We, the readers, can infer that John had an affair because of Elizabeth’s cold, emotionless, and detached attitude.

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John Proctor’s excessive pride evidently led him to his downfall. In the beginning of the book, John is seen as a strong man, “in Proctor’s presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly” (Miller 20). He was seen as such a high man that he let his pride get the best of him, at first he didn't want to confess to the court about his affair with Abigail to keep his name from being blackened. When John eventually confesses to the court about his adultery with Abigail; His wife, Elizabeth, didn't know that John had already confessed, so she lied about it to keep him safe, which only made matters worse. In the end, he dies in order to keep his good name in the town.

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John Proctor is another character who risks the people in Salem to maintain his reputation. When Abigail Williams, a seventeen-year-old, was a maid in the Proctor’s home, John had an affair with her. Upon discovering this affair, Elizabeth, the wife of John Proctor, discharged Abigail for her services, which leads to Abigail’s fury. In this case, Abigail’s desire for Proctor leads to her vengeance against Elizabeth and the killings of innocent people. Knowing this undisclosed information, Elizabeth tells John Proctor, “I think you must go to Salem, John.

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He also learns that Abigail has accused Elizabeth of conducting witchcraft. In the

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In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is accused of performing witchcraft and contracting with the Devil. He is faced with the decision to either confess to or deny the accusations. Ultimately, Proctor chooses to deny the accusations and dies a martyr. Proctor’s decision to sacrifice himself is justified because he protected the reputation of those who died and risked being arrested to save his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. John Proctor’s death is justified because he was willing to sacrifice his life to protect the reputation of others.

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In The Crucible, John Proctor commits adultery with his former young servant Abigail Williams while his wife, Elizabeth, was ill. Proctor’s desire for Abigail stems from her willingness to disobey Puritan social restrictions. Whereas any other Puritan woman conceals her desire for a married man, Abigail does not suppress her desires and goes after what she wants, using any means, such as seduction, to achieve her goal. After Elizabeth finds out about the affair, she fires Abigail. Once Abigail is fired, John puts a stop to the affair, but Abigail continues to pursue it.

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Abigail is willing to accuse any one in her path of witchcraft even if it means taking the lives of those close to her. Abigail Williams’ emotional desire guides her actions even if it conflicts with morality. Abigail williams is driven to do unthinkable things because of her love for John Proctor. Abigail works in the Proctor’s home and while doing so she finds herself attracted to John. Abigail’s obsession with Proctor leads them to have an affair, which they try to keep

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He admitted to this to try and save his wife Elizabeth’s life since Abigail tried to accuse her of witchcraft. Proctor also believed this would have made the court realize what is happening in Salem. Which would have made them realize the mass hysteria of witchcraft that needs to be stopped. John Proctor is willing to do anything to save his wife’s life therefore when it says "His determination to expose Abigail's false accusations eventually leads him to admit his own adultery to the court. He is at his most self-aware in his final speech when he realizes the importance of maintaining his integrity.

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Also, in attempt to tell the truth about Abigail, John Proctor admits to cheating on his wife with Abigail, but Elizabeth lets her fear assist her in lying. John Proctor tells everyone in the court, previous to Elizabeth arriving, “she [has] never lied” (III.891.). With everyone now knowing that she does not lie, it makes her trustworthy and believable. Deputy Danforth then brings Elizabeth in to confirm what

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The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is about real life events that has been changed a bit by the author. The play is set back in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, were the Salem Witchcraft Trials were going on. The Witchcraft Trials were trials that mostly girls, but some men got accused of seeing the devil and doing work for him. If you were accused of being a witch you were to admit to seeing the devil, accuse other people, or you would get hung. Some people wouldn 't admit to being a witch just to save their life because of their faith in Jesus.

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For example, Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor who was married to Elizabeth Proctor at the time and got discovered. However, Abigail Williams still “loved” John Proctor and was rejected. Later, she accuses Elizabeth Proctor for witchcraft, an action she uses as her revenge. These acts of cruelty ultimately affect all the victims and their families in this play as their consequence is to be hung. The vulnerability and sense of helplessness are all revealed in the victims as they are facing their

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Guilt is emotional torture that transforms one's psychological operation. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, before the Salem witch trials emerge, John Proctor cheats on his wife Elizabeth Proctor, with young Abigail. Causing him to live with an eternal shame that generates dispute. Proctor’s endeavour is to elude from his wrongdoing, but he cannot because of the disgrace he feels himself to be when around Elizabeth. Miller shows that John Proctor's emotional and behavioral conflict rises from his guilt.

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John Proctor never settles for keeping his opinion or what he thinks is right to himself. He knows telling Danforth that he is guilty for adultery won’t help his cause but it shows his desperation to win the case in order protect his wife, Elizabeth. John Proctor was sick and tired of watching Abigail win with a lie, in this case he spoke the truth knowing his consequences. John states, “Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave!

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