Get help now
  • Pages 4
  • Words 968
  • Views 365
  • Download

    Cite

    Shana
    Verified writer
    Rating
    • rating star
    • rating star
    • rating star
    • rating star
    • rating star
    • 4.7/5
    Delivery result 5 hours
    Customers reviews 624
    Hire Writer
    +123 relevant experts are online

    John Proctor Character Analysis

    Academic anxiety?

    Get original paper in 3 hours and nail the task

    Get help now

    124 experts online

    John Proctor is a character from the Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, Throughout the play he changes from being a troubled, self-exiled, sinner to becoming a person of high moral standards. The characters in this play are simple, common people that live in the town of Salem in the year 1692. There is a rumor of witchcraft floating about in the town that has led to accusations about many of the townsfolk. The accused are charged and convicted of a crime that is impossible to prove witchcraft.

    The reasons the villains select the people they do for condemnation are both simple and clear because all of the accusers have ulterior motives, such as revenge, greed, and covering up their own behavior. The three major points I will be talking about in my essay about are as follows: 1 His entrance into the play where he is talking alone to Abigail and trying to convince himself that he is not an adulterer and that they did not have an affair. 2 when John is reciting the Ten Commandments. 3 where John tells Elizabeth that he are going to confess.

    In the beginning of the play John Proctor is introduced as a farmer in his mid thirties, that is not a partisan of the town, and shows a very strong sense of self-preservation. The first real conversation he has with another character is with Abigail Williams, where Abigail is trying to make John tell her that loves her, and that he will come again for her. John tells Abby that their affair is over with and Abby begins to plead for John’s love and he says “Abby I may think softly of you from time to time.

    But I’ll cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby. ” John knows that he really did have an affair with Abby, but the fact that he denied it shows how in the beginning of the story, he was a man only concerned with only his own self preservation. Despite his adulterous behavior John Proctor is a man that often serves as the only voice of reason during the play. In act two, in the scene where Reverend Hale asked John to recite the Ten Commandments, and John recited all except for adultery.

    This scene shows that John isn’t just pretending he didn’t commit a sin, but that in his mind the sin of adultery doesn’t exist by itself, it had to be triggered by Elizabeth telling John that he forgot, adultery as one of the commandments. It is from this point on that John Proctor seems more willing to accept the consequences of his behavior. “I will fall like an ocean on that court! Fear nothing Elizabeth. ” Now John has a purpose for direct involvement in the trials, it is the fact that Elizabeth has now been accused of witchcraft.

    Since John knows she is innocent his statement above shows his will to make sure his wife’s image or life isn’t destroyed by the false accusations of Abigail. “A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that. ” This quote shows how in the middle of the story John fells that his name is the only true thing a man has. This quote comes from the courthouse scene where John tells the judge that the girls danced naked in the woods.

    After Abigail’s dramatic reaction, John tells the court that he had an affair with Abby, and that she is a whore not to be trusted. At this point John asks that the court see it is only Abigail’s vengeance that Elizabeth is guilty of. In the final act John Proctor decides to confess to the crime. “I have been thinking I would confess to them, Elizabeth. What say you? If I give them that? It is at this point that John realizes that his name is no longer as important as he once thought. let them that never lied keep their souls.

    It is pretense for me, a vanity that will not blind God nor Keep my children out of the wind…” But the good name of honest people like Rebecca Nurse still has a profound importance, and John feels that importance. Now John has a burning desire to live and is ready to confess, but just as he signs the confession he snatches it up and rips it in half, because he doesn’t want his name to be scorned in the village. It appears as though John Proctor has come full circle and now refuses to hand the confession over to Danforth.

    Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! ” He realizes that the only thing in this world that he can hang on to is his name, his honor, and the truth. John Proctor story is the heart of the play. He represents both the cowardice and courage that Miller sees in everyone in the play, and in the world, caught in dangers beyond their control.

    His initial reaction is to protect himself only. With time he believes that he needs to protect others, not only himself. But in the end he comes to realize that all he can do and must do is to protect the truth, even at the cost of his own life. By doing so he finally saves his own ‘name’, his truth, and his life, in a different way. This is what Miller is trying to tell us, that there are some things more important than life itself.

     

    This essay was written by a fellow student. You may use it as a guide or sample for writing your own paper, but remember to cite it correctly. Don’t submit it as your own as it will be considered plagiarism.

    Need custom essay sample written special for your assignment?

    Choose skilled expert on your subject and get original paper with free plagiarism report

    Order custom paper Without paying upfront

    John Proctor Character Analysis. (2018, Apr 27). Retrieved from https://artscolumbia.org/john-proctor-character-analysis-from-the-crucible-a-play-by-arthur-miller-45658/

    We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy

    Hi, my name is Amy 👋

    In case you can't find a relevant example, our professional writers are ready to help you write a unique paper. Just talk to our smart assistant Amy and she'll connect you with the best match.

    Get help with your paper