How Has John Proctor Changed Throughout The Play

In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor changes in several different ways, from someone who doesn't care about others, to someone who would rather die with his morality concepts strong than live a day with salem and his children believing that he is collaborating with the devil. During the story, john proctor changes in one overall main way. he goes from a hot-headed adulterer, to in the end, someone who truly wants redemption and make things right by his wife.

As people travel down the path of life, they begin to realize who the important people in their lives are. When people share the same commitment between each other, they are willing to do anything for one another. John and Elizabeth share this commitment and connection, although the path hasn’t been smooth. Through thick and thin, John changes throughout the story not only for himself, but for his friends and his wife, Elizabeth.

Identify a character in The Crucible that undergoes a major change. What is this change? Explain the importance of this change.

Life in the 1600’s was arduous for members of Puritan society. Strict social rules, including defined gender-specific roles, mandatory attendance at church, no self-indulging activities, and limited personal freedoms, forced people to repress their feelings and opinions to maintain a good reputation. God was involved in every aspect of life, and punishment fell upon those who were seen as not doing God’s work and deviated from the norm. The Crucible, a play set during the events of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts during this time, focuses on the mass hysteria which plagued the people and their reactions. A group of girls went dancing in the woods, and were caught by Reverend Parris. To avoid getting in trouble, the girls, led by Abigail Williams, claimed being the victims of witchcraft. John Proctor, who previously had an affair with Abby while she worked for his family, refused to believe the accusations of witchcraft. After Abby accuses his wife, Elizabeth, John does his best to prove her innocence, yet ultimately ends up being hanged himself. The events are tragic, and many people died as a result. Abigail’s “in the moment” survival is evident in her disregard for virtue in favor of reputation throughout The Crucible, whereas John Proctor ultimately decides integrity is more important than survival through his admission of guilt.

Proctor chose to have an affair with his servant, Abigail and develops a temper when his opinions are questioned or argued upon. John when arguing with Elizabeth, says, “you will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband any more” (Miller 1294). John is snapping on his wife for being mad at him about the affair, when she has the right to be mad as he betrayed her and she is upset. Johns temper is portrayed more so in the first half of the play, as he is concerned of himself, but as the plot thickens he realizes that there are others who need help. John's temper causes him to snap in other instances with Danforth and Abigail causing their decisions to have been affected by what John said. When speaking to Abigail in Act I, John says, “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind”(Miller 1270). John realizes after the affair, that it was not a good decision and that he

Throughout life, everyone goes through hardships, tests, and trials that choices have to be made which involves in choosing a path that is right or wrong. During the time of the witch trials, people had a choice to go with the what everyone said and accuse someone else to save themselves or stick to their morals and die. This time period consisted of mass hysteria where people believed that the devil blackened people’s souls and made them practice witchcraft. To “cleanse” the town, the people searched for ways to see that people were evil and hang them, and sadly they truly believed they were doing the right thing. But, the accusations and slander people started to say against each other to get out of being put to death blacken the city more

He goes to the Proctors’ house after Elizabeth was accused to speak with them personally in the middle of Act Two. He says, “…I have myself examined Tituba, Sarah Good, and numerous other that have confessed to dealing with the Devil. They have confessed it” (Miller 68). He personally found them to be guilty but because of their confession, they are to be saved from hanging, unlike those who have not confessed. Miller shows this as a crucial part to Hale’s loyalty to the theocracy in that he does not question its ways. Also, soon after in the conversation with the Proctors, John Proctor responds to him saying, “And why not, they must hang for denyin’ it? There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang; have you never thought of that” (Miller 69). Proctor points out to Hale that most people would confess to anything if it escaped them from the gallows. Miller uses this to start the character development of Hale for the reason that this shows Hale that there is a way that he could be wrong, and therefore, the

Standing on the gallows with a rope around your neck with the people who condemned you for something you did not do is not the most ideal situation. John Proctor, in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, is by no means a perfect man, but he is a truthful one. When members of the Salem community begin to be questioned for witchcraft, he soon learns that the accusers are girls and that one of them, Abigail Williams, he had an affair with-oops. Abigail is determined to have John to herself, so her and other girls start acting like people in the town are attacking them with witchcraft which they learned from the devil. Many people’s names are brought up, along with John’s wife Elizabeth. John knows that it is his fault his wife was accused and so he

Throughout the history of the human race we read of stories of witches, scapegoats, and false accusations. Many times the accuser feels that they are held back from rising in public standing and only by exposing “witches” can they succeed. The character Abigail in the crucible was in love with a married man john proctor. After attempts to swoon him failed she used a potentially name tarnishing issue in the town to get her “prize”. She now believed that if she could get john’s wife Elizabeth out of the way that he would finally love her.

However, John just becomes angered when Elizabeth does not want to forgive him for his betrayal. This makes his feeling of guilt worse, and forgiving himself harder. “I see what I see John...Spare me you forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’...I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you and still an everlasting funeral marches around your heart, every moment judged for lies.” (55) Proctor becomes desperate for Elizabeth’s forgiveness but her distant behavior makes his feeling of guilt worse, and forgiving himself harder. Elizabeth’s heartbreak causes her to think that John and Abigail are not over yet, and is stumped on the thought of whether or not to forgive him. John’s goal of making amends with Elizabeth were not going as planned. He didn’t really care for Elizabeth’s thoughts he just was in need of her forgiveness and his goodness back. This specific piece of textual evidence proves the claim because Elizabeth was telling John that she sees the way Abigail looks at John. However, John becomes determined to prove to Elizabeth that the what happened is over, but she does not believe this. John tries to be a good husband by telling her that all he tries to do is please her and make her happy. The piece of textual evidence shows that John states that whatever he does there is still heartbreak and sadness around Elizabeth’s heart. She still believes that there is more that John has not said that has happened before him and

In act II John Proctor is told by Mary that Elizabeth was accused and the court has come to her to take her to jail. John shows a lot of tension with Elizabeth in the beginning of act II. “I am wondering how I may prove what she had told Me.” said John, “You were alone with her?” retaliated Elizabeth. (1116) Elizabeth suspected John of adultery and is still worried about it. John is worried if he calls out Abby then their secret of Adultery will be out. “Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, women…” (1116) In this quote it shows what John thinks about his wife after 8 months of not having Abby in their house. John’s attempts to save Salem has failed and he and his wife are sent to

Later on Hale asks Abigail if they were conjuring spirits, she then says that it was all Tituba's doing. Hale finds Tituba and asks her a serious of questions, and Tituba denies all of them. This puts Hale at a crossroad, Abigail later continues to blame Tituba and says that she was forced to drink blood. Tituba responds with saying that Abigail basically forced her into conjuring spirits in the wood. Again, Hale is at a crossroad, not knowing what side to take. In an attempt to save herself from the punishment for witchcraft, Abigail begins to name all of the girls that are supposedly witnesses, her actions officially spark the trials. Reverend Parris sends for the Marshal to help get this resolved.

John Proctor states, “I never spoke on witches one way or the other. Will you come, Giles?”(Miller, 82). Abigail is not only John Proctor’s mistress, but she is also one of the girls who are accusing innocent people in the town of being seen with the devil. Abigail is the character who has the most influence on the town’s hysteria. John regrets his affair with Abigail, but she thinks what they had was love.  Because Abigail wants to be with John Proctor, she and few other girls from the village, and Tituba (a slave) dance around because they believe it will somehow kill Proctor's wife. Abigail is asked about her affair with John, but she says none of it is true. She is does not want to get caught.  While coming up with more lies along with Betty (Reverend Parris’s daughter), she tells the other girls, “If anyone breathe a word or the edge of a word about the other things, I will come to you in the black of some terrible night (The Crucible.)”

In the beginning of the play, John and Elizabeth’s relationship was awkward and strange. A quote from the story “Spare me! You forget within and forgive nothin” (Miller 54) which means, John Proctor to Elizabeth is explaining how she doesn’t forgive him, but in reality he doesn’t forgive himself. This quote shows his true guilt and how he hasn’t forgiven himself. Another quote that he says “You were alone with her” (Miller 53) means the lack of trust in the Proctor marriage after John’s affair with Abigail. John is upset that Elizabeth won’t forgive him and move on past the affair and Elizabeth is upset and suspicious of the fact that John was alone with Abigail. The suspicions between John and Elizabeth’s relationship, weaken and drives them apart.

Proctor states “I say—I say—God is dead!” when he was demanded to confess to witchcraft. Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” reveals how a hysterical and evil people can use religion as a mask to conceal their true identity. John Proctor has a secret, his affair with Abigail Williams led to Abigail’s jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth, which starts the entire witch hysteria. Elizabeth was persecuted for being a “witch”. However, Elizabeth couldn’t be hanged because it is found that she is pregnant. The children who were “possessed” by witches held grudges against the accused. Proctor knew that Abigail was a fraud, however he couldn’t prove it. Proctor soon realizes that he can end Abigail’s rampage through Salem. It was only if he admit to his adultery.