John Proctor

Paper Summary:

This paper describes how the character, John Proctor, in "The Crucible", ultimately valued what was right over what felt better and gave up his life because of this. The paper uses examples from the story to support this analysis.

From the Paper:

"Set during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller is a tale about archaic events that still hold significance today. Its tragic hero, John Proctor, is the individual that exemplifies the theme of the story. A local farmer, Proctor's wife is accused of being a witch by a 17-year-old girl, Abigail Williams. However, this was no accident. Proctor and Williams were in involved in an affair while John's wife Elizabeth was sick. But unlike her older lover, Abigail felt that their relationship could still exist. But with the strict religious values of their time, this was a pipe dream. At any rate, while attempting to defend his wife from imprisonment and execution, Proctor is accused of being a witch, and is put behind bars. While there, he is slated for execution, until a startling development occurs. If he signs a written public confession of witchery, he would be free to live his life again. Coupled with the fact that his pregnant wife would not be executed due to her baby, the Proctors would be a family again. But John cannot allow this. By confessing, John feels that he has already lost his soul, thus he wants his integrity to remain intact. When arguing his point to Judge Danforth, he proclaims, "How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name" (The Crucible 143). This proves that John Proctor was a man of strong ethics that valued what was right over what felt better."

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