John Proctor's Reputation In The Crucible

The Crucible written by Arthur Miller takes place in the 1700s during the Salem Witch Trials. All of the citizens in the town are extremely concerned with maintaining a clean and respectable reputation. After all, as they are Puritans, they are all concerned with dedicating their lives on Earth to God, so when they die, hopefully they will be welcomed into God’s kingdom. The Witch Trials provided people with a chance to falsely accuse their neighbors of witchcraft because they wanted revenge on them for the way they had treated them. John Proctor, Reverend Samuel Parris, and Judge Danforth are all characters obsessed with maintaining a good reputation in the eyes of Puritan society. John Proctor is seen as an exemplary human being in the eyes of the Puritans. When his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, is accused of witchcraft he rushes to the courts in an attempt to prove her innocence. However, in order to do that he needs to admit to an affair he had with the reverend’s niece, Abigail, who made up the lie that sent Elizabeth to jail. Proctor is unwilling to admit to adultery

He holds a position that requires him to be a model citizen throughout the country. He is often gloating about how much of a respectable figure he is, “And do you know that near to four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature?” (Miller 87) Towards the end of the play when Danforth realizes the accusations of witchcraft are false he refuses to stop the executions because it will make him look bad, “…them that will not confess will hang. Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now” (Miller 129). The way Danforth acts is solely based on maintaining a respectable