The greater the tragedy someone witnesses the more sympathy the will have for any tragedy no matter how small. In the book The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Proctor is put Faced with multiple tragedies. Even though John Proctor starts out as narcissistic and apathetic he starts to become more empathetic to all people and their problems because situations where it is difficult to not feel empathy made him realize it’s the right thing to do. In the beginning of the book Proctor doesn’t care much for Elizabeth and her feelings because he has an affair with Abigail, their old house maid. In referencing the affair they once had Abigail says “You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet” (Miller 23). John proctor …show more content…
John helps both Giles Corey and Francis Nurse get their wives free because he knows how it feels to have their wife accused of being a witch as he has also been in the situation they’re in. John is caring about people close to him now but will expand to most people. John Proctor is not only standing up and caring for his friends and family but now for everyone that has been negatively affected by the trials. John reveals that Abigail is a sinner in these quotes “How do you call heaven! Whore! Whore!”(Miller 110) and “I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted”(Miller 111). John risks the consequences of adultery in an attempt to save all of the people being accused of witches by revealing how Abigail sinned. John Proctor lies by confessing to being a witch verbally and on a paper which he says “No, no. I have signed it. You have seen me. It is done! You have no need for this… I confess to God, and God has seen my name on this! It is enough!” (Miller 142). John Proctor heroically risks his own life by lying and taking the document he signed not only to save his wife from death and his kids from mistreatment and embarrassment, but to save the women he doesn’t know. The act of him saving people shows has become a more empathetic
John Proctor is a man, in this residential area of Salem, Massachusetts, with an incredible notoriety under his name. He is the spouse of Elizabeth Proctor, remorseful partner of Abigail Williams, and father of four. In this blasted town, he is the main redeemable man actually when you consider his blames; his breaking point and everything that he is carried out. He's not flawless, however he is sympathizable in the way that he, regardless of what the expense he will settle his wrongs and tries to be a finer man. John is similar to the rest of society simply living his life to the best he can.
John Proctor is a hero because he makes choices that show resilience, benefit others in the community, and he fights for what he believes in. Throughout the novel John proctor shows resilience by overcoming obstacles such as having his wife be accused of witchcraft and Abigail's lust for him. John is forced to defend himself and his wife from the bloodlust of the church and Abagail Williams when Elizabeth is accused of stabbing Abigail. John Proctor believes that the witch trials are unfair and does everything he can to defend the rights of his fellow people. Throughout the novel John testifies in court and tries to prove that people are being unreasonably convicted of witchcraft.
One tragedy is a result of numerous conflicts and wrongdoings. In Arthur Miller’s stunning play, The Crucible, a primary character named John Proctor has an affair with a young woman named Abigail Williams. Throughout the play, it is evident that John Proctor is a tragic figure due to the fact that he commits adultery, is unable to tell right from wrong, and betrays Salem in multiple ways.
The author shows the audience through indirect characterization that John does not think of himself as a good man, even though he tries hard to be a good one. Abigail charged Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, supported by the fact that Elizabeth had a poppet with a needle in her stomach, working like as voodoo doll connected to Abigail. A clerk of the court came with a warrant for her. John talks to Marry Warren after they took her to prison, saying “My wife will never die for me… but that goodness will not due for me” (Miller 1181). Proctor tries to convince Marry Warren to go to court and tell them that Abigail gave her the puppet and is a liar. John says this because he does not see himself as a good man, and for him the only good in his life is his wife, who he does not want to lose to “vengeance” (Miller 1179). He knows that if she dies, it is his fault, and he cannot live knowing that he is the reason his children have no mother. He has already sinner, and has not forgiven himself. That sin still haunts him. All that John ever wanted was to forgive himself, and to to be the good man his wife deserves. John confessed helping the devil. He refused to sign the paper so he will hang instead of just being arrested and in prison with his name hung on the church wall. “You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in
Throughout the story, John expresses qualities of an honest man by defending his wife Elizabeth when she is
John Proctor is typically an honest man, and he along with Rebecca Nurse try to be the voice of reason by deeming the concept of witchcraft ridiculous. Proctor has an extremely toxic, and particularly one-sided relationship with Abigail Williams the origin of the tumult that becomes the Salem Witch Trials. John had a brief affair with Abigail though to him was trivial, to Abigail engendered the fabrication of relationship her with John. Proctor does not seem to understand this despite
John proctor is a tragic hero in “The Crucible” because of 3 reasons. These reasons are because john is loving, loyal, and authoritative but has a tragic flaw of having a bad temper. In these next 3 paragraphs, I will explain how John Proctor shows each one of these characteristics.
John Proctor is concerned about his reputation in the town of him being a very manly/brave man. When Elizabeth was accused my Abigail, John stood up for her and fought to keep her, even when they took her to jail. John walked through the doors of the court trying to free her. He was very concerned about his reputation in the town, and he confessed to having an affair with Abigail Williams. He was trying to free his wife and take down the lying girls in the process. This was a very brave act, Proctor held tightly to his reputation in the town, telling that information took all of it away from him. He confessed this knowing that it would convict him, he just wanted to free his wife and shine light on the girls to the court.
Tormented, John struggled to find and honest and acceptable version of himself. After breaking ties with Abigail and committing to Elizabeth, John began “attempting to gain his ‘rightful’ position in his society” again (Tragedy 4). John also refused to give the church officials any names of other suspected witches in Salem. Instead, he claimed that he was the only person working for the devil. Since he felt he already deserved to be punished, he tried to take responsibility for witchcraft. John said this lie to protect the other innocent victims of the witch hunt. Though he committed lechery, John’s strong moral compass is what makes the audience like him. More so, the audience pities John and the unfair claims against him occurring despite the fact that the entire witch hunt is technically his
Proctor is also portrayed as a character of honesty in various scenes. John Proctor, though a man of guilt, is an intelligent man who sees the wrongdoings of others and can speak the truth about what is morally correct in life. When questioned by Danforth if he is a lecher (a man of excessive desire), Proctor responds, “A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that.” It was also in this scene that Proctor confessed of his affair with Abigail. Though it was hard for Proctor to reveal his adulterous past, he spoke the truth (not only about Abigail, but about not “casting away his good name”) in order to save his wife and stop the strenuous court proceedings. Proctor’s honesty prevails throughout the play when he he comments on the tense situation in Salem at the time: “Peace, it is a providence, and no greater change; we are only what we always were, but naked now. Aye, naked! And the wind, God's icy wind, will blow!" By this statement, he means to tell the townspeople that they no longer have “protection” from God’s wrath because anyone could accuse anyone in the crooked justice system of Salem. It can now only come down to God to judge who’s right and who’s wrong. John Proctor is
John Proctor is a young, upright, outspoken, successful farmer in Salem. He loves and respects his wife and is sorry for the act of adultery he has committed with Abigail Williams, his former servant. He resents the greediness and moral attitude of Reverend Parris and, therefore, invites his irritation and suspicion. John hates hypocrisy. When the hysteria begins, he hesitates to expose Abigail as a fraud because he worries that his secret will be revealed and his good name would be ruined. Abigail uses her influence to convict his wife; he tries to tell the truth and finds himself convicted of witchcraft himself.
The beginning of this sequences is when Reverend Hale arrives at the Proctor house and interrogates them on their faith. John can recite all of his ten commandments but one.This commandment is “thou shalt not commit adultery”, this is significant to the plot because this was the one sin that John had committed and what had him chained to a line of guilt. This emotional guilt leads John into believing when he tells the truth he is punished but when he lies he is praised.In Act three John is truthful and reviles his lechery to the court. Elizabeth is then asked to testify of her husband is indeed a leacher. Elizabeth lies not knowing of the confession and brings down the storm of doom upon them. The goodness he had from the intention of revealing his sinful ways overlaps with the evilness that the sin was, but this decision leads to his ultimate death. John is giving the proposition to get executed or to confesses and to save his life. John gives his confession but when he signs the paper he won't give it up to the court. John’s pride takes him over when he won't sell his name as he had already sold his soul as he inclines. The goodness that was overshadowed by evilness and pride at the end was the place where John stood in his final
“There are no greater treasures than the highest human qualities such as compassion, courage and hope. Not even tragic accident or disaster can destroy such treasures of the heart” (Daisaku Ikeda). In the play, “The Crucible” there are many characters that have an effect on each other. Two of the characters that could be called tragic heroes are John Proctor and Reverend Hale. The most tragic hero in my opinion was John Proctor. Although Reverend Hale may be considered a tragic hero to some people, John Proctor is the definition of a tragic hero because he risked his life, he tried to do what was right and he showed immense courage throughout the play.
John lives in a house feeling empty and thinking his wife does not love him. Lust is a very powerful feeling and it tempts John right into bed with Abigail. He commits adultery and Elizabeth does not forgive him. John is repentful and guilty of the mistakes he has committed and put himself at risk of condemnation in the strict Puritan society. At the end of the play, John is faced with either confessing, and therefore sinning or to die a martyr. John says to Elizabeth "My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before." John is full of guilt and sick of the crooked court that he would rather die an honest man than live a lie of sin. John proctor shows how guilt can affect you in many ways and your
In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Many are accused and killed, but how did this all happen. It all began with girls in the woods. A group of girls were dancing in the woods and performing a ritual with Tituba and the true leader of the girls, Abigail Williams, is putting a curse on Elizabeth Proctor to kill her and then drinks blood. Directly after, the girls are discovered in the woods. The girls all run and hide, but are still rounded up to ask questions. Two of the bunch fall into a deep sleep. A Reverend is then called to come examine the girls. He is originally in Salem to find if the girls are sick. He is told of their dancing in the woods and then begins to question if they were making deals with the devil. The girls say that they were just dancing and that Tituba, a slave, made them do it and as she was making them dance she was singing one of her Barbados songs. Tituba is questioned if she is working with the devil. At first, it is denied by her that she would ever do that but, her owner beats her to make her tell the truth. Tituba cannot take the pain of the lashes anymore, so she confesses to witchcraft. This is only the first of many untrue confessions of witchcraft.