If someone has ever seen a person help out another, then they know how good a person can be. John Proctor was that type of person. He was the type of person to believe in moral values and to honor oneself. He believed in the Bible and the Ten Commandments. John Proctor made choices that may not have been morally ethical, but we will examine Mr. Proctors actions and beliefs which lead to his demise. John Proctor made many decisions during the movie. He believed that his family came first. He was willing to disgrace his name by admitting to adultry instead of let his wife hang for witchcraft. He signed a confession admitting to witchcraft, even when the audience knew he wasn’t guilty. He signed a false confession in order to save his wife. He did what he thought he had to do. The court left him no choice. They would not believe him when he said the girls were lieing. …show more content…
The girls wanted attention and fame; they got it. During this time, Salem was not a safe place. One could charge their neighbor of witchcraft just for the land. This is seen in the movie, Mr. Putnam is accused of telling his daughter to cry witchery on Mr. Jacobs. Without the spectral evidence that the court allowed, the girls had no proof of anyone hurting them. Abigail wanted to get rid of Goody Proctor, John’s wife, so she could be with him.
Reverend Hale asked John to say his ten commandments and he did, with the exception of one, thou shalt not commit adultery. It is very ironic considering he had an affair with Abigail. John did not think that God was actually dead. He said that because he was frustrated. Reverend Hale also knew that the girls were lying. He tried to convince the court that they were lying but they wouldn’t believe him either. Abigail persistently tried to continue their affair but John would not have
she never meant for any of that to happen she just wanted him to herself. Abigail then runs away and is never seen again. John has the choice to save himself by confessing he was walking with the devil. He and his wife had a long talk alone about what was the best decision for Him.
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.
I agree that the decision John Proctor made was appropriate because he really did attempt to save his life for his family. He had been locked away in a jail for some several time while being tortured and not able to see his pregnant wife nor children. He confessed to his affair with Abigail to the court, and also confessed to witchcraft which was not true. When he asked Elizabeth what he should do, she told him that “[she] cannot judge” (Miller 135) him. She wanted him living, but she also wanted him to make his own decision.
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is categorized as a dramatic tragedy, and all tragedies, by definition, have a tragic hero. So who is that hero? In this story, it would be John Proctor. According to Aristotle there are five characteristics of a tragic hero, he must have a flaw or error of judgement, he must cause his own downfall, he must recognize that he caused his own downfall, he must have pride, and his fate must be greater than he deserved. In this play, John Proctor has all of these characteristics.
In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor was accused of witchcraft. John Proctor was a man of great integrity and knew he did nothing wrong. He was given the choice to confess and lie or be hung. Being the honest and stubborn man that he was, he decided his name was more important than his life. John struggled both internally and with others while trying to fight for what he thought was right.
In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the town of Salem is afflicted with hysteria, intolerance, and accusations that lead to death. According to philosopher Aristotle, a tragic hero possesses a tragic flaw, excessive pride, and an inevitable downfall. Protagonist John Proctor illustrates a tragic hero because he is presented as happy, powerful, and privileged, which later leads him to suffer because of his own actions. First of all, John Proctor possesses a fatal flaw, pride, which is a characteristic of a tragic hero. Proctor’s fatal flaws includes honesty and pride.
People in the Crucible thought he was an honorable man and that no honorable man will ever sin. So when John and Abigail meet each other, Abigail flirts with John, and John say, “No, no, Abby. That’s done with.” So we know he has committed adultery against his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, with Abigail Williams and that gives us a bad image of John sinning and commiting adultery with Abigail and doesn’t really respect his wife.
John Proctor was a man of honor and had a well respected name in the town of Salem. Sadly he died tragically but as a hero. He was hanged because he was accused of doing the devil’s work. He was given the chance to save his life if he admitted on a piece of paper that he was working with the devil but he refused to tell that lie. He wanted his sons to be able to walk the streets without being shunned from the world because they deserved better.
Life or Death: Did John Proctor Make the Right Decision? Countless people have learned about the lies and horrors of witches in 1692 during the Salem Witch trials. In The Crucible, a tragedy written by Arthur Miller, it displays the tragedy and wrongful convictions of the townsfolk of Salem. One notable character being John Proctor a well respected upperclassman in Salem who was willing to confess his sins, sacrificing his life for the greater good of his family and friends. There are many reasons people choose to do things in life whether or not they will turn out well in the end.
Proctor says “ You are the high court, your word is good enough! tell them i confessed myself; say proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman, but my name cannot!”. In the quote John Proctor does not want written proof that he was a witch because he wants to protect his friends and not throw them under the bus. This means he cares for his friends and is truly a good man. Proctor says; “ let them that near dead now take their souls, it is pretence to me.”
During the hysteria of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, many people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Therefore, their reputation, was ruined. Other people committed many sins in order to keep their reputation clean in town. For instance, some characters had to lie, fight, and accuse other people of witchcraft which could get the individual out of trouble and keep their hands clean. when a person got accused of being a witch, the person’s reputation would get ruined and the person would go to jail or be hanged.
John is telling them all of the facts and truth and they still do not believe him. They only believe what Abigail says. That finally puts Hale over the edge and he decides that he is going to quit the court. “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!” (Miller, 227).
He cared greatly about his family and wife even though Elizabeth was often distant towards him. In the end of the play, Proctor chooses to die rather than sign his confession, ratting out his friends and ruining his good name in the town. He did this to protect the reputation of his children so they won’t have to grow up with a lying father. Lying went against Protctors’ views and that ideal is prevalent throughout the entire play. It is revealed that as soon as he had an affair with Abigail, he confessed to Elizabeth the next day because of the guilt he was carrying around.
John Proctor's main flaw was his excessive pride which sealed his fate. I myself felt his death transformed Salem’s ways of thinking and increased their own knowledge. Proctor's life completely started going downhill when Abigail accused John’s loved ones who then were sent to jail, or executed. John Proctor was a man of goodness and pride which cleansed his soul after he suffered a tragic death, and became a symbol of purity and greatness for others to
The first impressive characteristic of John Proctor is his bravery. Speaking out against the “afflicted” girls in the way he did could cause serious question of him as a person. From the court’s standpoint John could be seen as directly opposing the court, which would have him jailed, or could even have him be accused of witchcraft. Also, he would have had to have known that Abigail Williams would have immediately accused him of being a witch once he spoke out against them. However, that did not stop him from delivering the truth to the court.