John Proctor is basically the tragic hero of “The Crucible”, the reason for this is statement is because the tries to save his wife from being hanged. He cares about his children, he also has tried not to cheat on his wife Elizabeth, while she was ill. At the end of the story Proctor is hanged due of his confession of being a warlock. In the rising action of the story John Proctor is trying to avoid Abigail, he states that “But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again.” (Proctor, 1140). This indicates that Proctor doesn’t want to make the same mistake, he does not want to cheat on his wife again. John doesn’t want to sin and go after Abigail, he wants to be a good man. He also wants to be away with Abigail who wants Elizabeth
Everyone has a name, and some are willing to die to protect it. John Proctor was willing to die to keep his name clean of what he was being accused of. Elizabeth Proctor, or Goody Proctor, knew that her husband was a good man, and she wanted to support his choices. Goody Proctor thought that if she lied about what John had done that it would save his life, but he ended it on his own terms. John and Elizabeth Proctor had three sons and a baby on the way before John went to the noose.
John Proctor had a very important decision to make, it was either let his wife lose her life for something she never did or to waive his name and reputation and come clean about his affair with Abigail. During this time no man wanted to share their empathy to the whole entire town not Salem this was very difficult for John to do but he knew it was right to save the person he loved the most he couldn’t lose her for something he did in the past. “... trembling, his life collapsing about him: I have known her, sir. I have known her.”
A crucible can either be defined as a vessel of heat resisting material used for high temperature chemical reactions, or a test or trial of the most severe and decisive kind. In the Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Salem Witch Trials. Witchery is thought of as evil by the puritans living there. Witchery was believed to be linked with the devil, and bad luck. In the film version of the crucible, when someone was accused of witchery, by a group of girls who claimed to be able to see the devil with them, they were brought to court.
Although Aristotle states that one must meet certain qualifications to be a tragic hero, like being of noble descent, Proctor does meet all of the other qualifications. Proctor meets the qualifications by sleeping with Abigail, by being accused of witchcraft, and by being highly praised in this community. To be a tragic hero his/her downfall is one's fault. Proctor decided to created his downfall when he has an affair with Reveron Hails orphaned niece, Abigail. Proctor knew what he did was wrong but his pride was too high to admit it.
In Arthur Miller's novel The Crucible, John Proctor is a respectful man in the community, however, he eventually turns into a tragic hero as he recognizes the seriousness and damage of his sin that causes his downfall, but his rise to grace is sacrificing his life for his family. At the beginning of the play, Proctor is expressing his remorse about his thoughts to Abby. “I may think of you softly from time to time. But I’ll cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again” (1.22). This is crucial because John is haunted by his past relationship with Abby for the duration of the play.
“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.
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.
In 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 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.
A lot of what John Proctor does in The Crucible is to save his wife Elizabeth. When John Proctor says, "I will bring you home. I will bring you soon."(Miller 77) he promises to save his wife from being hanged for witchcraft. This also shows John’s love for his wife, Elizabeth, and his choosing of this love over his lust for Abigail.
After cheating on his wife with Abigail Williams, the villain of the story, John knows that he has made an error and is determined to leave the past behind him stating, “… I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again” (Miller 1261). Proctor knows that he has made a grave mistake, and it has haunted him ever since he has reached for her. His very character is permanently flawed by his
“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name?
John 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.
In The Crucible, a drama by Arthur Miller, John Proctor demonstrates courage by speaking out for what he believes in while knowing his consequences, admitting his wrong doings with Abigail to save Elizabeth’s life, and choosing to be hanged over having his name posted on the church door because the second his signed confession is posted, his and his loved ones reputations will be ruined. In the beginning of the play all John Proctor cared about was his reputation. However, ultimately he sacrificed his reputation by telling the court he committed adultery. John telling the court he was guilty ruined his reputation, which made all hell break loose.
John Proctor’s words towards Elizabeth signal irritation and annoyance. John Proctor, the main character of The Crucible, has an affair with a much younger girl, Abigail Williams, breaking his wife, Elizabeth’s trust in him. Her suspicion of him rises when he tells her he was in a room alone with Abigail. Elizabeth’s growing mistrust begins to aggravate John, which is revealed when he says, “I’ll not have your suspicion any more” (489). Elizabeth is doubtful after learning about John’s affair with Abigail and her lack of trust in her husband begins to anger him.