The Crucible John Proctor Character Development
Miamormara Camila Leader
Mr. Lynskey
American Literature Honors
1/17/2023
The Crucible Essay - Midterm Exam
The character development of John Proctor in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible is a testament to the complexity of a human being. Proctor is a flawed man, yet his ultimate redemption is one of the most powerful messages of the play. John Proctor is a farmer in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. At the start of the play, he is in an adulterous affair with Abigail Williams, a former servant in his household. His wife, Elizabeth, is aware of this affair and has not yet forgiven him for it. However as the play progresses, John Proctor's character undergoes a journey of self-discovery and growth.
In the beginning of the play, John Proctor is a proud, flawed man. He is proud of his accomplishments and his reputation in Salem, yet he is also aware of his own faults. He admits to his wife, Elizabeth, “I have known my own stupidity” (Act I, Scene I). This is an important moment in his character development because it marks the first time he takes responsibility for his actions. He is not perfect, and he is willing to admit it.
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He is forced to confront his own hypocrisy when he discovers that the girls accusing people of witchcraft are doing so out of spite and jealousy. He is appalled by their lies, but he must also acknowledge that his own lies and secrets are just as damaging to the community. It is a difficult lesson for him to learn, but it is an important one. He realizes that his own private sins can have public
The Crucible John Proctor Character Development
470 Words | 2 PagesThe Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a dramatized account of the Salem witch trials that took place in Massachusetts in the late 17th century. The play serves as a commentary on the McCarthyism era in the 1950s, when the United States was in the grip of a witch hunt for supposed communists. The characters in The Crucible undergo significant changes and transformations as the events of the play unfold, making character development a central aspect of the play. One of the most notable examples of character development in The Crucible is that of John Proctor, who starts off as a flawed but honorable man and transforms into a tragic hero. Proctor initially refuses to confess to a crime he did not commit because he wants to protect his reputation and the reputation of his family.
How Does John Proctor Change In The Crucible
245 Words | 1 PagesProctor knows it is his fault that the accusation was made and he now know he must do anything to save his wife. As the play goes on Proctor begins to realize that his wife is the one who really loves him, as Abigail will so quickly throw anyone, including him, under the bus. John
John Proctor's Flaws In The Crucible
451 Words | 2 PagesProctor tries to hide his affair with Abigail so he can uphold his reputation in the community. Although Proctor tries to hide the affair, he ends up having to confess about the affair to the judges. Proctor confesses about the affair and why Abigail is doing this, but it is too late. Proctor gets accused of witchcraft and jailed. Proctor’s affair with Abigail leads to many bad things happening.
How Did Elizabeth Proctor Change Throughout The Crucible
663 Words | 3 PagesIn Act 1 of the play Reverend Hale was brought to Salem by Reverend Parris, the minister of Salem’s church, to see if there was any witchcraft in Salem because Parris’ daughter became suddenly ill. Throughout the play, John, Elizabeth, and Hale gained insight about themselves and others. The characters learned about self- love, forgiveness, self-respect, and pure intentions. To begin with, Elizabeth Proctor was seen as vindictive early in the play after attempting to destroy Abigail’s reputation. However, Elizabeth tries to let go of the anger and forgive her husband.
How Does John Proctor Change Throughout The Play
580 Words | 3 PagesThe Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller based on real events, but Miller adds to the play for good reason. Miller adds love, hatred and revenge into a factor of why the trails happened. To show love can move someone to do anything, to show hatred can ruin a good mans name, and to show even if a person did nothing wrong, revenge could be reason to accuse and change their life. In real life, John Proctor is known as a successful farmer, but known as a mean man. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrays Proctor as a “Good and righteous man” (Miller 221).
How Is John Proctor Portrayed In The Crucible
912 Words | 4 PagesMiller’s The Crucible took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692 through 1693. Salem was a Puritan colony which valued its strict Christian moral code. The people frowned upon any diversion from the church and each individual strived to be a good Christian man and woman. Because of this suffocating environment many, especially women, were afraid to show any other beliefs or differences besides what were Puritan. These witchcraft trials which took place in that setting and are depicted in The Crucible were based upon spectral evidence, so there is no concrete way to know if spirits genuinely are haunting individuals.
John Proctor's Character In The Crucible By Arthur Miller
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How Does John Proctor Forgive Himself
579 Words | 3 PagesKayla Tillman 10/29/16 3rd period Russow English 3 The Crucible: John Proctor Throughout the dynamic story of The Crucible ,written by Arthur Miller, many characters are introduced, all with different personalities. One character that stood out in the story was John Proctor because of his growth as an individual throughout the story. In the beginning John is a remorseful man who has a closeted secret that he cannot forgive himself for but towards the end of the story he starts to gradually show examples of courage and bravery.
The Utilization Of John Proctor In The Crucible By Arthur Miller
1043 Words | 5 PagesJohn Proctor is an excellent example of Arthur Miller's utilization of the varying degrees of goodness and evil to propel the story of The Crucible forward. John Proctor is a successful and well-respected farmer who holds himself at a particular distance from the Church, a rarity at the time. This may be related to the guilt he has come to know, as he has sinned, and openly condemns the trials taking place while hiding the secrets of his affair with the accuser, Abigail Williams. Proctor, an outspoken man entirely consumed by his guilt, must take responsibility for his actions, publicly confess his sins, denounce Abigail Williams, and save his soul from eternal damnation. John Proctor has held resentment towards Revered Parris since his appointment
Dynamic Characters In The Crucible
1046 Words | 5 PagesAdam Jarrell Mrs. Quisenberry February 23, 2023 English III Honors The Crucible Literary Analysis Having dynamic characters in a play greatly increases your chances of attracting listeners. Characters can either be dynamic or static characters: based on how they change throughout the piece. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the main protagonist of the play, John Proctor, changes a lot throughout the play. John, at first, was not very strong and was trying to hide the affair between him and Abigail.
The Crucible: John Proctor, The Tragic Hero
1335 Words | 6 PagesJacob Tavarez Mrs. Lamorgese Honors English 2, Class 2 5 December 2022 John Proctor, the Tragic Hero John Proctor is one of the best, and most flawed characters throughout his time within the play. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a tragedy that shows how people truly act when their backs are pressed against the wall. John Proctor is a character that never falters when put on trial and always stays true to himself. He is loved by the town for this and is viewed as someone with a happy life, despite everything happening behind the curtains. His prideful nature is what ultimately leads to him being a tragic hero.
Examples Of Tragic Heroes In The Crucible
828 Words | 4 PagesJonathan Palumbo, Tanner Droze, and AK Henry Jena Smith English 3/3/23 A look at Tragic Heroes in Arthur Miller's The Crucible The tragic downfall of heroes is something not often talked about in books, usually, the hero always wins, and good triumphs over evil. But this is not the case with John Proctor, a farmer imprisoned on false charges for attempting to expose the town's court of fraudulent evidence. “... Communities were coping with the aftermath of British and French fighting in the area, unsettled relationships with nearby Native Americans, and a recent smallpox epidemic. These circumstances made neighbors fear neighbors and stirred superstitions as people tried to understand why so many unsettling things were happening.
The Crucible John Proctor Strengths And Weaknesses
613 Words | 3 Pages“I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 1357). This quote is said by John Proctor, a character in “The Crucible,” who is pleading to keep his name reputable when accused of witchcraft. Arthur Miller writes “The Crucible” to portray the Salem witch trials of 1692. The people of Salem have grievances in which they need a scapegoat.
How John Proctor's Character Changes In The Crucible
822 Words | 4 PagesIn the Crucible, many of the characters go through changes because of the intensity of the situation. But there is only one character that I think changed the most, and that is John Proctor who is the protagonist of the novel The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I think that John Procotor changes the most in the Crucible because he is in every act and mostly in every scene, and throughtout the play I see more drama (Dynamic Character) in him than any other character in the Crucible and I will go through and tell you how John Proctor changes in the Crucible. In the beginning of the play (Acts 1 and 2), we focus on John Proctor and we know that he is a good puritan citizen, a hard-working farmer and who is a husband and father.
The Qualities Of John Proctor In The Crucible
835 Words | 4 PagesJohn Proctor is a good man despite anything others may say about him. He displays three very noble qualities throughout the witch trials which are bravery, honesty, and an overall goal to save lives even to the point where he sacrificed his. While many argue John is a bad man because he committed adultery they are entirely mistaken. Just because he had one bad sin gives no right to anybody to call him a bad person when clearly the good side of him is shown more than the bad. John Proctor is a good man who displays the characteristics of a hero and could be seen as one for giving his life for his friends.
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