John Proctor faces many different forms of conflict, whether it be self to self or self to society. Facing the court, Proctor gives his words and mind to try and free the ones accused. His personality and internal conflicts are arguably more intense. To be damned or forgiven by his society. The only way out of persecution is to smear his name.
John Proctor displayed his character traits of aggression and anger throughout the story in fear of his integrity being ruined. He was considered a tragic hero because of his downfall in trying to protect his integrity. Even though Elizabeth Proctor had the traits of innocence and compassion she still lacked affection towards her husband. This in turn led John to commit adultery with their housekeeper. These two characters demonstrate these traits throughout the story.
In many works of literature, a character’s past has a positive or negative effect on the actions, attitude, and values of the character. The Salem Witch Trials, are a product of John Proctor’s mistake with Abigail. The story illustrates how over time, Proctor’s life was slowly altered, but consequently the lives of the people around him were never the same again either. His past mistake is able to tell a story of how pride, deceit, and hate can ruin lives. Firstly, John Proctor has to contend with the fact that he has violated Christian, marital, and societal values.
Despite the several flaws found through John Proctor's role in Arthur Miller's, "The Crucible" my analysis of Proctor's character reasons him to be a good man in the end. Within the play, John Proctor analyzes his past actions, realizing that his affair with Abigail Williams, deeply wounds his connection with his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. It is explained within the story by the author, that John Proctor's strong personality stems from his guilt. The speaker states, "He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time but against his own vision of decent conduct" (Miller, 255).
The main character of The Crucible, John Proctor is someone who possesses all the necessity traits that classify a tragic hero. Not only is his downfall in the book initiated by his human flaw, but he also captures the sympathy from the readers. Even though John Proctor’s intentions are good and truthful through out the book, in the beginning we discover that he has a significant secret. He is guilty of committing the sin of adultery with his young servant, Abigail Williams. His sick wife Elizabeth learned of his infidelity and forgave him, but Abigail was in love with John and tries to kill Elizabeth by engaging in witchcraft with a few other girls in Salem.
Honor plays a big role in Proctor’s mind while he is making decisions. In the beginning of the play, Proctor choses to confess to his wife about the affair he had with Abigail, their former servant. This act shows Proctor’s need to do the right thing and to protect his honor as best he can. Though he has made a mistake, he knows the best way to stay an honest man is to come clean about what he has done. At the end of the play, when Proctor is given the opportunity to lie in order to save his own life, he cannot go through with it because he refuses to have his lie become public and ruin his good
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.
“I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man.” This quote was said by John Proctor in The Crucible, when he was thinking about confessing to “Witchcraft”. John Proctor was a victim of the Salem Witchcraft Trials.
John Proctor also undergoes various inner conflicts. He admits to having an affair with Abigail though his reputation and good name is on the line, in order to save Elizabeth's life. He is unsure of whether to confess or not of being in contact with the devil and repeatedly asks Elizabeth whether to confess. Elizabeth says "It come naught that I should forgive you, if you should not forgive yourself" and puts a seed of doubt in John Proctor's mind. In the end John proctor is the total opposite of what he was described in the First Act as stubborn and selfish by telling the truth and not confessing.
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
Another reason why John Proctor is such a Flawed man is because he is so quick to anger. He get mad very easily and he goes off on people to make them feel like a bad person when they didnt do anything wrong. Like Elizabeth every night he tries to talk to him and he yells at her because she ask to many questions or she doesn 't do it the right
Also in Act 4, he was highly conflicted over whether or not to confess to working with the devil to escape death. In the end, he decided lying was a sin he did not want to commit and chose to die a honest man rather than survive as a deceptive man. So in the end it is clear to see that John Proctor still is a good man despite his short-lived affair with Abigail. He was an honest, good-hearted man who wished for nothing more than to live a good life with his wife and children.
Proctor is widely respected in the Salem community. However, he has a secret that threatens his reputation. He cheated on his wife Elizebeth Proctor with Abigail Williams. As a result, he has a strong internal conflict regarding his integrity. Proctor is a benevolent man at heart, however he has sinned according to puritan law.
The first impressive characteristic of John Proctor is his bravery. Speaking out against the “afflicted” girls in the way he did could cause serious question of him as a person. From the court’s standpoint John could be seen as directly opposing the court, which would have him jailed, or could even have him be accused of witchcraft. Also, he would have had to have known that Abigail Williams would have immediately accused him of being a witch once he spoke out against them. However, that did not stop him from delivering the truth to the court.
John Proctor’s character is one based on reputation, and guilt. The guilt comes from his affair with Abigail Williams. The reputation aspect comes from when he is accused by Mary Warren of trying to turn her to the Devil. I believe that John Proctor grows tired of the accusations, as to why he speaks of his false involvement with Satan in front of the town. Specifically, Deputy Danforth uses John Proctor as an example for conviction as he is certain he will be able to turn others
