Arthur Miller was born on October 17, 1915 in Harlem, New York and died February 10,
2005 in Roxbury, Connecticut. He was an American play writer who wrote many plays. One of those plays in particular was The Crucible. This story provides a dramatized view of the Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600s. Arthur Miller creates characters that help the reader connect with the conflicts during this period. John Proctor is one of these main characters. His belief in respect and reputation in one’s name is more important than life itself and becomes a central theme throughout the play.
John Proctor’s adultery with Abigail is what continues the drama that eventually leads to his death in the play:
“A man may think God sleeps, but
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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? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 211)
The court advises that John would be able to save himself if he signed the confession acknowledging his use of witchcraft for all to see. His honor and his dignity for what he believed to be his respect for his family name kept him from signing the document which led to his death.
How can his children hold their head high if their father signs a document that lessens their family name? He states that he has given his “soul” by admitting to performing witchcraft because he knows it is a lie in itself, but if he were to sign his name to it, it will always be remembered. It will forever be documented and can never be changed. They can keep his soul, but not the name that will be passed down for generations to come. This belief in reputation and name further supports the universal theme of John Proctor’s belief in reputation in one’s name is more important than life itself.
The story of John Proctor reinforces the value that one can have in their family name