John Proctor Character Analysis Essay

Pride of Death Do some events and things really make someone shift from a horrible person to a better one, or the other way around? In Arthur Miller’s writing, The Crucible, most of the characters reflect different and opposite actions toward their own perspective. John Proctor, however, is perhaps the most dynamic character portrayed in the play. Throughout the play, John Proctor reflects both negative and positive signs of his personality; reactions of being emotionless, stubbornness, wise and at times understanding. Moreover, people in Salem know him as a man of dignity and integrity; but as the play goes on; his guilt of distress and anguish toward himself starts to destroy him because his lustfulness and hopeless of fixing his life. Over all, Proctor is really a true Puritan

In the court, he admits to adultery not only to save his wife from death, but also to save himself from the guilt and the shame inside him. “My wife is innocent, except she know a whore when she see one”; When Elizabeth brought in the court to ask about Proctor sin of adultery, she said, “Elizabeth, I have confessed it”(III. 50). John recognizes that coming forth in this forum about his adultery is the last chance that he has to save his wife. In his confession, Proctor is showing his level of self- awareness and full disclosure to remedy the hidden demons. In another scene, when the judge, Danforth, say that he should give up all names of people who are with the devil, Proctor refuse and say that these are my sins and he will not drag others to save his own life. He realizes that there should be no more people who should get hurt because of his sins and failures. Not only he admits his sins, but also he accepts the consequences of it which is death which shows how much he