The Role Of John Proctor In The Crucible

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is based off of the “Salem Witch Trials” that happened in the late 1600s. In the play, a group of teenage girls accuse many people of practicing witchcraft. A young girl, Abigail Williams, accuses Elizabeth Proctor of stabbing her through witchcraft. In an attempt to free his wife, John Proctor confesses his affair with Abigail. When Danforth brings Elizabeth forth to test Proctor’s claim, Elizabeth denies the affair in order to protect John’s reputation. After Mary Warren accuses John of being a witch, he is arrested. The following winter, John is given the option to confess to witchcraft, whether true or not, in order to save his life. When informed that the confession Proctor signed must be made public, John

Throughout the play, Proctor was confronted with many evils. For example, Proctor’s confrontation within the church and temptation towards continuing an affair with Abigail. John was arrested because the church, convinced by the girls, thought that he was a witch. When given the opportunity to confess to the false accusations, Proctor chose to do away with his sins by being hanged. Awaiting his death, John recited a prayer in front of the crowd that had gathered to watch the hanging. During the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). Jesus was punished because of false accusations against him. Although Jesus could have confessed to the false testimonies against him, he choice not to lie and died for his followers sins. Many gathered to watch the crucifixion of Jesus. On the contrary, while Proctor fell victim to it, Jesus overcame the temptations of evil. Many authors create symbols to relate to the reader. For example, an author will create a Christ figure in order to explain the actions of a character. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor is considered a Christ figure because of his temptations with evil and his selfless actions at the end of the