Characteristics Of John Proctor In The Crucible

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

First of all, reputation is a huge issue for John Proctor, both internally and externally. From the very beginning, John is extremely concerned about word escaping about his adulterous acts with Abigail. If anyone were to find out, his good reputation as a respectable farmer in Salem would have been cast away by nasty looks. A lack of willingness to give up his good name also stopped John from admitting anything he knew about Abigail to possibly save lives. He cared more about having a clean name than completely halting the trials to begin with. In the end of the play, John Proctor is put to death

He overcomes these conflicts by deciding to testify against Abigail and confessing to the crime of lechery. It is at this moment that he realises that he must participate in the community and that his individual needs might have to be sacrificed for the good of all. Another motivation for Proctor could have been that he wanted to replace his wife's alleged guilt with his own and that he wanted to be redeemed of his sin.

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

p;    When Proctor was first faced with the decision of living with a lie or dying with the truth, he chose life.   He decided that a lie was a minute sin in comparison to voluntarily giving up the life with which God blessed him.   After signing his confession, he was notified that it would be hung above the church entrance for all to see.  Besides believing that publicity was unnecessary to a valid confession, Proctor did not want to blacken his name.   Because of committing adultery, he knew what it was like to live with a bad reputation and did not want his sons to have to live with a name marked by witchcraft.  Proctor crumbled up the paper in front of his accusers and chose death rather than advertise a lie. 

“That John Proctor the sinner might overturn his paralyzing personal guilt and become the most forthright voice against the madness around him was a reassurance to me, and, I suppose, an inspiration: it demonstrated that a clear moral outcry could still spring even from an ambiguously unblemished soul,” Miller says this about Proctor. Procter the “sinner” was unfaithful to his wife Elizabeth; during the beginning of the play we see Proctor as a cheater and hot-headed adulterer. Throughout the play he truly tried to seek redemption for his wrongdoing towards Elizabeth. He later on changes from this cheater, hot-headed adulterer to a saint who tries to save the lives of the falsely accused by admitting to his sins and fighting for the truth until his very last breath.

He had an affair with Abigail, a seventeen-year-old niece of Reverend Parris. He knows that God knows who he is and what he has done, that includes having an affair and some bad decisions that will be worth dying for. He knows that he needs to die to save people he cared about. Proctor’s suffering caused him to have to decide if he confesses or not.

We find out how Proctor first confesses when he has a conversation with his wife Elizabeth. Proctor is angry because he thinks that Elizabeth is accusing him of dishonesty and is suspicious of him still having an affair with Abigail, even after he confessed to her that he stopped seeing her. Proctor yells at his wife because she isn’t forgiving him of his crime of lechery and she keeps judging him. Proctor is furious and says “...like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. But you’re not, you’re not, and let you remember it!” (Miller 163). Proctor’s confession affects Proctor’s life because him confessing to Elizabeth about his sin of lechery, led to Abigail being kicked out of the house.

When Proctor confessed to adultery to the judge to save his wife showed he was very honorable. “I thought of her softly. God, help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweet”(193, line 865-866)...”My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one.”(193, line 876-877). Even though John Proctor knew adultery was a big and very bad sin he still confessed. He knew it was wrong to let Elizabeth get into trouble when she had done nothing wrong. His actions

When the reverends tried to make him confess he reflected on what the impact of the decision could be and ended up refusing. “ I have three children how may i teach them to walk like me in the world, and I have sold my friends.” He realizes this decision may save everyone lives but they will have to live in shame for the rest of their lives. He also protects his wife from abigail’s wrongdoings, “ My wife will never die for me. I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me” (Miller 85) A good man will try his hardest not to let the people around him get hurt. Proctor was determined to save his family and the townspeople from abigail’s

While proctor knew that the only way to escape death was to confess a lie. He knew right from wrong and knows that this will allow him to regain his good name and self respect towards the town. He was convinced that he was doing the right thing by not confessing a lie. While these were good beliefs he was going to be punished for not confessing about "working with the devil".

When we are introduced to his character, it is apparent that he has been unfaithful to his wife (Elizabeth) with a lady named Abigail. Following this, we see that his wife has been accused of witchcraft, and it is Abigail who made the accusation. Proctor realizes that it is because of his actions that his wife has been accused and he

He is faced with extreme conflict due to the fact that he committed one of the biggest sins there is: adultery. Proctor then has to decide whether he wants to confess his sin in order to save his wife or to be selfish and live a slandered reputation. Just as John Proctor makes the decision to save his wife’s life and his family's reputation, so too will any person that believes it is more important to put their family above

John Proctor has a terrible struggle with his conscience towards the end of the play. John Proctor’s conscience is telling him that he should stand up to court and to not fear them. Furthermore it is telling him he shouldn't lie to the court and then his death can be a proud one because he spoke up. However his natural instinct, is telling him to lie. It’s telling him let people loose respect for you at least you will be alive. If he lied he will be able to grow old with his wife, see his children grow up, but he will be forever disrespected.

John Proctor was very deliberate in refusing to participate in the court hearings. He also isn’t a fan of the way that Parris teaches or isn’t a fan of Parris himself because he feels like he’s too greedy. Many people even stood for his character in defense of his accusations in the court. "What is John Proctor?" (p. 175) He can finally declare to Danforth, Parris and other court officials: "You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs" (p. 183). Realizing at the end that, to save his dignity and restore his self-esteem, his name must embody his soul, consequently he chooses a heroic death over a dishonorable life. (Aziz, Social). John Proctor remained consistent throughout the novel in