Examples Of Argumentative Essay On The Crucible

Scapegoating: Taking Heat From Someone Else's Flame In an interview on Faith and Religion with Bill Moyers from PBS, Margaret Atwood once said, “Under stress, society will always scapegoat a person or a group of people.” This belief is shown in the texts The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the cartoon “It’s okay -- We’re hunting Communist” by Herb Block, and her own poem “Half Hanged Mary”.

Lie or Die: The Life of John Proctor “Decisions are the hardest thing to make, especially when it is a choice between where you should be and where you want to be.” (Rana Magdy) This quotes describes John Proctor battling to choose between dying and confessing to being a falsely accused witch. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, confessing would lead John Proctor to a happy life with his family; if he tells the truth he will be hung , but he will keep honor to his name. Since John Proctor is motivated by his will to uphold his name, his decision to refuse to confess to witchcraft causes John to find strength to stand up for what is right, and accept the consequences that follow by the end of the play.

The Crucible Essay Prompt 2: John Proctor Written in 1952, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, follows the puritan people living in the town of Salem, Massachusetts during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. During the Salem Witch Trials, many people were hung and persecuted as they were believed to be involved with witchcraft and the Devil himself. John Proctor, a man seen differently by the people in the community, somehow became accountable for all acts of witchcraft in the puritan town of Salem. After John Proctor confessed to adultery with a 17 year old girl, he was considered sinful, yet he continued to stand up for what he believed in and remained strong and selfless even at his worst.

This was not a selfish act because he was just saying his name for himself, he was saving his name for his family. As much as Elizabeth wanted to convince him to not go along with his decision, “” God forbid she take it away from him”. John Proctor is seen as a Tragic hero because unlike all the others who lied to live, his stuck true to himself and even though he died, he What do you think really caused the Salem Witch Trials? Why? Could an event of persecution like this happen again?

With accusations of witchery and his guilt of lechery, Mr. Proctor feels he has a duty to save his name for his children. He can 't stand the idea of his family suffering for the mistakes he has made now and in the past. John 's initial reaction to his wife being accused based off the lust Abigail has, he says, "My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!" (Miller 80) John knows he 's done wrong and will do anything to save Elizabeth 's reputation.

When John Proctor rips up the paper at the end of the play it shows that he is very honorable. This shows honor because he will not tell a huge lie just to save his life. “It is evil is it not? It is evil”(Miller 4.539-540). Proctor realizes that if he lies and admits to witchcraft that it is an evil act that will only make things worst for him and his family.

Proctor realizes the corruption in having one's name “nailed upon the church” (4.696). He also knows that unless someone pure in the people’s eyes brought themselves to death, revival would never reach Salem. Even Parris stated that “many honest people will weep for [John], and our good purpose is lost in their tears” if they let Proctor die (4.208-10). Hale could not see that John had a purpose bigger than himself to evoke change during this dark time. Proctor sacrificed himself not to preserve his name or dodge the evils around him.

Consider the way that reputation is so important to so many characters in Salem, which is a place where even the most innocuous action or word is enough to crush somebody's reputation. And if either of these characters have a bad reputation then people will know not to trust the ones that have a bad reputation on the line. You can only trust the ones who have good reputations but John Proctor on the other hand he represented why he would not take the document he has good reasons to observe why he didn't want his name to be out

Either you confess to being a witch and soil your name and disgrace your family, or you plead not guilty and hang for your alleged crimes. So knowing which ever position he held they would both hold life altering affects from there on out, he chose what he thought was right and showed everyone to stay true to yourself in life. Proctor says he could not sign his name away because it would show a bad example for his children “I have three children--how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends” (Miller 143)? Proctor was caught in a catch 22 scenario where either he lives with his kids knowing he was convicted of witchcraft and sold out his friends, or he dies and leaves his children without a father completely. But John Proctor does not take his whole family down with him and decides that just he should suffer the consequences of his own mess.

The one person who could have stopped the Salem Witch Trials was none other than a tragic hero. Aristotle developed the idea of a tragic hero in a story. This person was someone who was an exceptional person, they were quite prideful, and by the end they must die. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is a tragic hero. He is an exceptional man with lust as a fatal error, he takes pride in his name, and by the end he dies and repents.

Introduction: In Miller play “The Crucible, “ many characters are obligated to decide whether they should confess to witch craft and ruin their name or to be hanged for dealing with something that doesn’t exists. Our main character which is John Proctor was admitted to doing witch craft and chose to keep his name instead of sacrificing him self over a tarnished name Argument: John proctor last act in the play was an act of excessive pride. His actions throughout the play were foolish REASON1, AND EVIDENCE 1: John Procter figured a display of his signature would take away his pride. Proctor says “I have three children – how may I teach them to walk like men in the ...”

He trusts himself and goes with his gut even when everyone else is telling him something different. When he is first accused, everyone told him to confess, even though he didn’t do the crime. But he goes with his gut and doesn’t listen to them. Then, when John Proctor is in jail, they try and get him to sign a paper saying he confesses. He signs it, but won’t give it back.

Being honest in a situation where one’s life might be on the line is something that is hard for the average person to accomplish. Proctor exhibits this honesty when he is given the opportunity to save himself from being hung by telling a lie, but instead he rips up his lie and shows everyone that he has the capability to do the right thing: “I can. And there’s your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor” (Miller 1333). John finally feels like he has done something right by not lying even if it may mean the cost of his life.

John Proctor is one of the main characters in Arthur Miller’s drama because of his immense struggle with his wife and himself which ultimately leads others to change the way they think of him. First of all, John Proctor is a hard working individual who loves his family, but his wife Elizabeth still has not forgave

The end of the Crucible is very suspenseful when the protagonist, John Proctor, is faced with choosing between confessing to a lie or dying for the truth. At first, Proctor is hesitant and signs the papers, confessing himself to evil, but before the signed paper is collected by the court, he tears it apart and is sentenced to death. This was his best option, for it stopped him from living a remorseful life. His decision to tear apart the signed confession was the most correct not only for himself but for his family and the community as well.