John Proctor Reputation Essay

John Proctor is a very friendly man. Everyone likes being his friend. He is open, kind, helpful, upright, blunt-spoken, and just a good, hard-working man. John has lots of faith in God but little in humans. He knows that mankind is good but he also knows that they are weak and imperfect. “Proctor: I’ve heard you to be a sensible man, Mr. Hale. I hope you’ll leave some of it in Salem”.

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

“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!” This speech is said by John Proctor near to the end of Act IV a moment before he tears up his confession; it is the moment where he finds the shred of goodness in himself. To understand how he finds it, we first need to understand the moral battle and journey the Proctor goes through.

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

Many actions dignify the traits of a tragic hero, but only few stand out. In the tragedy The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a tragic hero dies a good man when brought to trial over nothing more than child’s play and dishonesty. John Proctor is an honest, upright, and blunt-spoken man because he fought for what is right and found forgiveness in his fatal flaw. Although he exhibits these traits throughout the story, John dies a dynamic character.

John Proctor is portrayed throughout the play to be a man who has high moral values that he must abide by. He

To begin with, Proctor was considered a strong person in the community, and he was respected for it. He was a handsome, hard-working, and

"How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave my name!" (Proctor) John Proctor a farmer, and the husband of Elizabeth. He had an affair with Abigail Williams while she worked as a servant in his house. John is a powerful man in both build and character. " John Proctor is a tormented individual. He believes his affair with Abigail irreparably damaged him in the eyes of god, his wife Elizabeth, and himself. True, Proctor did succumb to sin and commit adultery; however he lacks the capacity to forgive himself." (www.cliffsnotes.com) John Proctor goes from being loved and well respected to a sinner and later on becoming a tragic hero which was surrounded by strong feelings and beliefs.

Purist Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 suffered from a rapidly increasing phenomenon: witchcraft accusations and trials. The Crucible is a play that recounts the times of this incident. For the most part, it follows a man known as John Proctor. He is a sensible, honest, and hardworking man who made the mistake of succumbing to lust which sets off a chain of events that leads to the witch trials, and to his own demise. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible’s protagonist John Proctor proves to be a flawed human being who struggles to make sense of his past relationship with Abigail, his love for his wife, and his pride.

In the play, Arthur Miller wrote called, The Crucible John Proctor says "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 143). He had a very strong belief that if his name was blackened there is no reason to live. John Proctor also chose to die because he could not double cross his friends, the fact that he has three children, John could not raise his children to walk like men in the world if he himself was not a true man. Therefore, for the sake of his name, reputation, and his kids John's decision to die was a heroic one.

To illustrate, because he supports his family, despite grievances in the past, John Proctor proves himself to be a good man. In the first act of The Crucible, the audience learns that John had an affair with

Throughout the entire play of The Crucible, John Proctor truly grew as a person, while later fixing his sins and making moral decisions. John Proctor had truly gone through a lot in the play, both emotionally and physically, being that he was wrongfully accused of witchcraft. Although some might contradict this statement, John Proctor loved his wife, Elizabeth, because even though he may have questioned her worth in the past, he always confesses his sins and does what he can to make it right, which is a true quality of a man. Along with this, John Proctor portrays characteristics of a Puritan because he always remains true to his family, alike he must stay true to God, therefore proving to him that John Proctor always stays true.

He takes great pride in his name and will not sign it over to the court. He is a strong character who will do anything it takes to get out of the predicament that he got himself in, but he refuses to give up his name. Proctor shouts at Danforth that the court "will not use me...I am John Proctor!...I have three children-how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?" (1231). Proctor finally figured out what his name means to him and now he is determined to do whatever it takes to keep it. Proctor wants to set a good example for his children and wants to leave the good family name for them. When Danforth questions Proctor about why he will not sign his name to his confession, Proctor retorts "because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life...I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" (1232). Proctor worked so long to create a good name for himself and his family, he believes that signing his name to the court will ruin his whole life-time achievement. Proctor makes a point in saying that he only gets one name in life, meaning that you only get one chance to prove your worthiness to God and the court system. Names are part of a person's identity; without them, people are lost. Proctor has great pride in his identity and the life that he has created for himself, so he refuses to willingly sign his name off to the

John Proctor lived and died as an honorable man in Salem. He was not a perfect man and admittedly some of his decisions were not right. However he won the battle against his conscience and righted the wrong to the best of his ability, motivated by protecting his family’s name from shame. He paid for these convictions with his life. Throughout the play The Crucible, John is motivated to tell the truth even though it ruins reputation, and contributes to the theme of someones reputation. Although he lived and died in the seventeenth century his example is timeless as we are faced with situations similar to

In The Crucible John commits letury. He cheated on his wife Elizabeth with Abigail. I have also sinned, not quite as bad as John. I don't turn in my journal entry when Mrs. Zoller tells me to. So in some cases John and I are both sinners.