In Arthur Millers The Crucible John Proctor is portrayed as the tragic hero throughout most of the play. In The Crucible, we journey through the life of three characters who reputations plays a major role in the play. The people that are arrested for witchcraft live if they confess, but hang if they deny the charges, even if the charges are not truthful. Ill tell you whats walkin in Salem-vengeance is walkin in Salem, but now the crazy little children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law. (Act III). So he starts a witch hunt to find the communists in the United States and he targeted celebrities of Hollywood such as Helen Keller, Langston Hughes and Charlie Chaplin put them all on trial for been associated with the Communist Party. In The Crucible, John Proctors well respected name throughout Salem is destroyed when his downfall is initiated by two human flaws, pride, lust and a bad temperament , which to a great extent qualifies him to be the tragic hero. There are a lot of people that are lying throughout the play. Proctor redeems himself and provides a final denunciation of the witch trials in his final act. The first and foremost of these is his guilt over his adulterous affair with Abigail Williams, the second his hesitation to testify against Abigail to bring out the truth and the third, his final decision to make the ultimate sacrifice. He would die to demonstrate the truth. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. By the end of the play, Elizabeth is selflessly concerned about her husband's soul and refuses to judge John regarding his decision to confess or die a martyr. Since John Proctor is motivated by his honor, his decision to admit he committed adultery creates doubt in the guilt of the accused. He grapples with authority, for Proctor is not one who listens to authority simply because it is the excepted thing to do. John Proctor married Elizabeth Bassett, daughter of William Bassett and Hannah Dickerman, on 1 April 1674 at Salem, Essex, MA. This plays an important part in the testing of Johns integrity later in the play. Generate various tests and versions. How does he feel about his relationship with Abigail? All rights reserved. Proctors Pride and Downfall 10. John's motivation remains fairly constant: to find falsehood and expose it. He also faces death because he chooses to be a noble man and denies all charges of witchcraft. And well she, for I thought of her softly. I know not their motivation or their thoughts but this . These motivations lead to many deaths. After he speaks to Abigail and learns that the girls in the woods were not engaging in anything but fun, he thinks that. A false admission would also dishonor him and his soul. They were always wondering why everyone was getting tricked into believing that witches existed and it was because they were all just trying to get themselves out of trouble. What is a quote said by John Proctor in Act 3 in which he reveals his sin of adultery? And we know that she cannot lie. People were being accused for things that they never did and do not have any proof that they did these thing. These accusations led to people losing their jobs and to move from the United States. In the play,The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, One of the characters is motivated by something that influences the decisions that he makes throughout the play. In some situations, like John Proctors, you can be honest, and protect your name at the same time, but, a lot of the time, you will be faced with a decision: honesty, or protecting, Proctor redeems himself and provides a final criticism of the witch trials in his final act. 3 Why did Hale come to Proctor's house what does Hale's motivation for visiting the proctors tell the audience about his personality? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! Abigail Williams At the beginnig of the play, the Proctors want no part in the witch trials. He cant progress in something that he is truly right about unless he drudges for it for some time. John Proctor Answer. John Proctor is a farmer and a villager who is faced with intense dilemma. Hale feels guilty about all of the false accusation he made towards the women he accused of witchcraft. Later, however, in Act III, the motivation to save his wife trumps his concern for his own reputation, and he confesses his lechery in an attempt to prove Elizabeth's innocence and Abigail's treachery. John is also motivated to defend his name and recognizes that dying a martyr will undermine Salem's court. 12 November 2012 . John and his 3rd wife were tried on August 5, 1692. He is a kind man who is loyal to his wife and friends; he even blackens his own name for the sake of their lives. ~ John Proctor Quotes. Then he started writing The Crucible which is about a troubled young girl named Abigail Williams, who had an affair with John Proctor in his 30s, and the witch trials. As Hale is mad that Proctor ripped the paper, Elizabeth explains to Hale that, He have his goodness now. Arthur Millers play The Crucible highlights the difficult test of maintaining moral integrity during these times, primarily through the characters of Proctor, Elizabeth, and Mary Warren-- some pass their crucibles while, amends for past sins is challenging yet ultimately rewarding The motivation Proctor has to bring out the lies and deceit in the town of Salem while also combating his desire to maintain his reputation is similar to the men struggling to fight against their wives obsessed with Instagram while also maintaining their reputations as good husbands. He has fallen for Abigail Williams leading to her jealousy of Elizabeth, Proctors wife. There were many parallels throughout the whole play. Whore! He resents Elizabeth because she cannot forgive him and trust him again, but he is guilty of the same thing. You will not use me! His suffering was meaningful, but not entirely deserved. Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! The McCarthy hearings, as they came to be known, which dominated our country from 1950 to 1954, where hearings in which many, suspected of being related to communism, where interviewed and forced to give up names of others, or they where imprisoned, and their names were black listed. Elizebeth and there kids meant everything to them. John Proctor The Crucible Analysis Although John Proctor is motivation, he feels bashful for cheating on his wife by having an affair with Abigail Williams. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the town of Salem erupts in a mass hysteria that essentially endangers many innocent lives. John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams are just a few of the characters. p.116 Elizabeth, while watching Proctor: "He have his goodness now. His words are important, because he is trying to make it up to Elizabeth after his affair with Abigail. She is clearly hoping to impress him with her cooking in Act II, as she says that she "took great care" with the rabbit stew; she also tells him that the "magistrate sits in [his] heart that judges [him]," and that she does not. It being a metaphor to the McCarthy trials can be seen through how both trials happened due to fear. There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest, Elie Wiesel. John struggles with trying to keep his good name too. (Act Two, pg. I disagree with the above post. Period 1 John Proctor, a farmer who lives in a farm with his wife Elizabeth Proctor, is the protagonist during the Salem witch trial. 7 $ HHBL hI~k[*kr Q R744`68|4 3JR . Latest answer posted November 22, 2020 at 10:36:50 AM. It was his name that they were taking away from him and it was the only one he will ever get. He tells John that Elizabeth has reported that she is pregnant. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. John makes a John Proctor's Moral Struggle in The Crucible 12. While attending the University of Michigan in the mid 1930s, he began to characterize himself as a distinguished writer. Certain motivations cause certain actions that in turn can have an outlasting affect. Rebecca's primary motivation in The Crucible appears to be her internal sense of what is right and what is wrong. We constantly have to work to prove our excellence in something that we want to succeed in. He also commits adultery, which becomes his tragic flaw. John paid for his own passage, and established Proctor's Plantation below Falls on the south side of Falling Creek in 1620. This confirms that John wants to protect his wife from harm by putting down the accusation that she is a witch. John Proctor continued to fight for what he believed in even after he was sentenced to hang for witchcraft, he never once gave up trying. The book was written as a reaction to a tragic time in our countries history. Whore! (Miller 101). Also, in the government systems, the everybody is doing it mentality was spread. Miller describes John Danforth's arrogance not only in Act 3, but also in Act 4 when he murders innocent men and women. The Crucible is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. Once the trials begin, Proctor realizes that he can terminate Abigails accusations; however, he can only do so if ha admits hi own guilt. Johns decision to destroy the signed confession causes him to forgive himself and not to think of himself as a. John Proctor is both flawed and honorable. Six months prior to the commencement of the play, when his wife Elizabeth was unwell, John had an affair with the young housemaid Abigail Williams. Under these young girls jurisdiction, few attempt to counter them, unfortunately their powerlessness stands in their way. Each ACT will have a specific date when it needs to be completed. But still there was a battle between the capitalists and the communists. In his play, Arthur Miller provides his characters with wide variety of personality traits and specific motivations that correspond with them. When Proctor is in jail, he shows his integrity once again. Be sure to keep this document updated by the due dates. When he confesses to committing adultery,John knows numerous people have died or confessed to having been visited by Satan. It is no part of your salvation that you should use me! ( Act 4 Lines 281- 283). The Crucible Both Abigail and John Proctors actions were caused by fear that was inflicted by the ruling theocracy and directly affected the lives of many others in negative ways. John finally realizes that this situation is not all about him and it never was, this has to do with the many other people in the prison whose lives are at stake here as well but all he can contemplate on is the one question about what will happen to his name. I have given you my soul; leave me my name! is something he yelled to the court right after signing the paper. In The Crucible people were hung for accusations of, Putnam's daughter accused Jacobs of witchcraft. Proctors wife Elizabeth knows her husband better than anyone in the town of Salem. After the trials began, John realized that he could out Abigail and make everyone see her for what she was (a liar) and put an end to many innocent deaths by confessing to his adultery and proving Abigail was only extracting revenge on his wife Elizabeth Proctor. The Crucible is a very significant piece of literature from which many things can be learned, You ask me what parallels there are between the play The Crucible and the event The McCarthy Era. His sons will carry on that name, and if they post his it up for everyone to see, his good name will be ruined. How does Abigail turn the court against Mary Warren in The Crucible? Proctor is an honorable character because he admits to having an affair with Abigail and because he tears up his confession letter, but others would disagree that he is honorable because he did not turn in his confession letter., John Proctor is a tormented individual. He is a man of integrity; a harsh-tongued man whose lust led him to an affair with Abigail Williams, his former servant. Johns penance only resulted in his arrest and conviction of a witch, and he feels culpable for allowing Abigail and her friends to take it as far as they did. He also commits adultery, which becomes his tragic flaw. For example John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor. Was John Proctor a good man? But as the play proceeds and she is accused, her motivation is just to get to be with him. You will learn to integrate your belief with your behavior. Since John Proctor's motivation is keeping his family safe. The Crucible: Reverend Samuel Parris Analysis. Senator Joseph McCarthy had a feeling of communism in the United States. Furthermore, he used the truth of the Putnam's situation to prove why they may have encouraged the girls to pretend. . When put in a tight situation dealing, historical example a major moral test took place in Salem, 1692. Initially, John is motivated to earn Elizabeth's forgiveness, forget his past sins, and cut all ties with Abigail. Check out these best John Proctor quotes. Elizabeth seems more disappointed than anything but is reluctant to express her displeasure with John because she is primarily focused on repairing her marriage. Abigail's motivation in the witchcraft testimonies. main motivation: to keep his reputation clean; to retain his position as Reverend of Salem. His moral sense of justice and guilt was John Proctor's motive. Arthur Miller was an American playwright, who was born in 1915. Actions like having 19 innocent being killed and going out of the way to remove someone so they can step in. Because I cannot have another in my life! In The Crucible, explain what Elizabeth means when she says, "He have his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him.". True, Proctor did succumb to sin and commit adultery; however, he lacks the capacity to forgive himself. The Crucible renders John Proctor as a puritan, a husband, and a highly respected man. Therefore he is to make a decision to tell the truth and ruin his name or lie and save his most prized possession. John is the type of man who often says what he believes and he does what his heart tells him to. These motivations lead to many deaths. Guilt overwhelms two of the main characters Proctor and Hale. One of the few motivations that John Proctor was, protecting his family and keeping them safe. The characters being referred to are Thomas Putnam whose greed drove him to getting his daughter to accuse citizens of Salem of witchcraft so he could obtain their land. This motivation came from the moment Abigail and John Proctor first began their relationship where she was most likely lead to believe that they could be more than lovers. He can at last see some good in himself, and has forgiven himself his weakness. He struggled with whether to sign a false confession or not. To me, Elizabeth seems to be motivated by the desire to get her relationship back on track -- though she struggles to trust her husband again -- and for the trials to end (and for Abigail Williams to be known for the liar that she is). God forbid I take it from him. How may I live without my name? Copyright 2000-2022. He cares about his reputation of not only him as a Proctor, but his children too. Elizabeth is initially motivated to please John and repair her marriage in The Crucible. The Crucible is a play published in 1953 by the late playwright Arthur Miller. How does John Proctor's character change from the beginning of The Crucible to the end of the play? She causes most of the problems the town of Salem sees. He is a hero because in the end he stays true to his beliefs and his philosophies, knowing that by doing so he will be condemned to hang. It's not enough to WANT to do better, you need to TAKE ACTION on your wants and your dreams. Proctor is a very respected person in the Salem village, but when the witch trials occur some people would think otherwise. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, there are tragic heroes. John sailed from Plymouth in 1609 on the "Sea Venture", but was shipwrecked on Bermuda. Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctors wife, is completely, Today I will be discussing Arthur Millers 1952 play The Crucible and SmallPoppys 2015 YouTube video Instagram Husband and how it displays how although political motivations may be ambiguous, control is the ultimate goal. Proctor struggles against society during the play whilst portraying nobleness and wisdom, and reveals hamartia, his tragic flaw of adultery. 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