In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible preserving one’s reputation is a major theme. The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, revolving around witch trials in 1693. In the play there are two men, John Proctor and Giles Corey, whom of which both try to protect their good name and reputation. Throughout the play they portray the idea of protecting their reputations. In the play John Proctor and Giles Corey have several similarities. Proctor and Corey both refuse to sacrifice information that could get them hanged or put and impact on their reputation. Proctor does not want to let the court know that Abigail and the other girls are lying about what happened in the woods, this caused him to get in trouble. Corey refuses to tell the court officials who he overheard say what Putnam made his daughter do, this caused him to get in trouble as well. An alternate subject they have in common is, both of their wives …show more content…
First, John Proctor does not himself accuse his wife of being a witch. The girl he had an affair with accused her in an act of jealousy. Corey, on the other hand accused his own wife, Martha Corey, of being a witch because she read while he would pray. He claimed this affected his praying. Second, Proctor does not want any trouble with the town about the witchcraft accusations going around. He wants everything to settle down and disappear. Corey, though is an instigator and wants to make major things blow up. He tells lies to make things more fun for him, in his own mind. He seems to want the accusations to continue. Last, but not least third, Proctor at the end of the play was hanged for Lechery and faking seeing the devil. If he had told the truth and not faked anything about the devil he would have not have been hanged. Corey was Pressed To Death for not revealing the source he overheard talking about the Putnams. If he would have revealed this person he would not have been
Tiger Woods once said, “No matter how good you get you can always get better, and that’s the exciting part.” He was known as one of the greatest golfers of all time. He was a very nice, likeable person, and that is why the world was astonished when he admitted to adultery. Just like Tiger Woods, John Proctor, from The Crucible, also committed adultery. They were both looked at differently- they were no longer role models for the society. Tiger Woods is similar to John Proctor because they both committed adultery, lost their reputations, and it took them both a lot to admit to what they had done.
Have you ever done something wrong that you feel terrible guilty for and there is always that one person who will never let you live it down? That is the setting our two characters are cursed with. The two characters only made it worse by committing , arguably,one of the worst sins, adultery. When comparing two characters, John Proctor and Arthur Dimmesdale, from two different books, The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter, many may believe this to be difficult. Although they seem so similar, their differences seem to stand out amongst their many similarities. Both characters are alike by being hypocrites who judge others for their crimes, yet carry out a secret life of adultery, but differ in how much they loved their partners in crime and how
As human beings, we each display specific traits and qualities that define our character and shape our personalities. The way in which we carry ourselves establishes our reputations, as well as how others identify us. We are each prone to making mistakes, and unfortunately, the mistakes we make can affect the way people see us as well. The struggle to regain a good name can be difficult and uncertain once someone’s reputation is tarnished. In Arthur Miller’s timeless play, The Crucible, a well-respected man named John Proctor betrays his wife and struggles to gain her forgiveness and his good name in the village of Salem. Although John Proctor betrays his wife, he
The confession was too late. Proctor ended up being accused of witchcraft himself after his wife lied to the court to save his name from lechery.
Proctor 's decision to tell the court about his affair ironically demonstrates his goodness. He also spoke up for the innocent girls that had their names branded. He willingly sacrifices his good name in order to protect his wife and others who are wrongly accused. Only through his public acknowledgment of the affair does Proctor regain his wife 's trust. At the end of the play, Proctor refuses to slander himself by allowing the court to make him make a false confession. The court told him to lie, and that if he lies that he would not be sent to the gallows. He did the right decision by telling the truth about his affair with Abigail. He honestly told the truth about the affair, and that he was not part of the witchcraft. His response further exemplifies Proctor 's integrity. But John was not guilty. He had nothing to do with witchcraft, he admitted to his own mistakes. Proctor knows that if he confesses that he will be damned himself, yet again, if he agrees to confess, he will also be free from the torment from the demon inside him and set others free too. This realization, along with Elizabeth 's forgiveness, enables Proctor to forgive himself and finally regain his good name and self-respect. As the court
In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the character John Proctor will not lie and confess to something he did not do. Thus, he is hanged for his principles. Proctor has two main principles he felt were more important to respect and uphold than his own life. The most obvious one was his reputation. In theocratic Salem, where private and public ethics are regarded equally, one’s reputation plays an important role. In such an environment where reputation is regarded so highly many are afraid of guilt by association. Various characters base their actions on the desire to protect their own reputations, in order to keep them in the best light possible. Towards the beginning of the play, John Proctor sought to keep his good name
There is a connection in the lives of each of these characters, which makes them very similar, but at the same time, there are also things that distort them. The events that are carried out with each of these characters condemn them to pay a high price for the mistakes they made. John Proctor and Hester Prynne have to deal with a very great guilt that haunts them. These characters share the same feelings and conflicts. They are the main characters in each story, who lived during the time of Salem, Massachusetts where life was very restrictive and strict. Life at that time was governed by religion where no one could escape their sins because there would always be a punishment.
John Procter is a strong man, who thrives at the chance to be right and known. But by the end of the play he questions himself saying, “Who is John Proctor, Who is John Proctor?” (act 4). The trials to John Proctor are a time of change. When Reverend Hale enters the town John leaves in disgust, he knows the girls are lying. John’s pride springs from his feeling of being smarter then the rest of the town. He was constantly found bickering with Reverend Parris about unnecessary expenses. He is worried to speak at the trials for he would condemn himself as a lecher. His wife has her finger on his button though because after the affair, she uses his guilt so he will promise to accuse Abigail. As soon as John steps into the trials he is labeled as a witch and condemned to death. But from his own pride is unable to confess. But at the same time he does not want to die for such an absurd reason.
In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem, Massachusetts prove time and time again that they care more about their reputations than the events that are taking place and how these events are affecting the people around them. Having a good reputation can be a good thing but when being concerned about your reputation clouds your judgement, that is when it becomes a dilemma. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses having a good reputation, the character of Parris, and how reputation and The Crucible tie into modern life to enlighten the reader that even though having a good reputation is great, it should not cloud one’s ability to see the harm they are doing to others.
“It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently” (Warren Buffett). Arthur Miller was a well known American playwright, essayist and a very important figure in the American theater. Arthur wrote some very important plays throughout his life and The Crucible was one of them. The Crucible is a very well written play about the Salem Witch Trials and how the people chose their own reputation rather than telling the truth and having a consequence for it. Having a good reputation in a small town like Salem is very crucial. This is evident throughout the acts in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. John Proctor,
Another inner quality that defines John Proctor is the value he holds to his good name. Proctor is a firm believer in the fact that one’s name is the only thing that remains after death, and what is done with it while living can affect one’s posterity for generations. This is the driving force behind his actions in the final act of the play. At first, he felt no shame in lying to the court about his accusation of witchcraft because he felt there was no more damage he could do to his reputation and that one more sin would not make any difference. His attitude changed when he realized his confession would mean blackening the name of those who already had died, and his sons would have to live with that mark on their names. He knew he could not teach his sons “. . . to walk like
As we all know reputation is a really big deal in today’s society. Hardly any kid can be themselves because they are so scared they won't fit in or be popular. Many adults feel the same way. If there neighbor buys a boat, they feel like they should buy one to just fit in. In “The Crucible” it is the same way reputation is very important to them and they don’t want to ruin there reputation even if it is gonna sacrifice them being alive, they want to make sure they keep their good name in the community. In this novel there were a bunch of characters who cared about their reputation. Parris, Abigail, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor. The main two who cared about their reputation would be Abigail and John. Many characters in “The Crucible” are concerned about their reputations. Two of the main characters especially concerned with the betrayal of their reputations are Abigail and John.
The second way John Proctor is an internally conflicted character is that he had an affair with Abigail. John Proctor, a married man with three sons, cheats on his wife with a young Abigail. He confesses to this by saying “God help me, I lusted and there is a promise in such sweat, but it is a whore’s vengeance.”(Act III, 49 ). John did not want to confess but absolutely had to, to expose Abigail’s real desires on why she is accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. What John had confessed to was adultery and is punishable so he took a big risk. When Proctor said “Whores
When Proctor confessed to witchcraft to save his own life, he did not name others whom he had seen with the devil. Earlier in the play, Ruth Putnam accused George Jacobs of witchcraft. Corey claimed he
A respectable reputation is a commonly sought after title that many will go to extreme lengths to achieve. In the late 1600’s reputation was everything. The characters in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible manipulate the truth and strike fear into others to furiously protect their reputation.