John Proctor's Decision Analysis

As John Proctor is facing death, he realizes what he has done is wrong. John Proctor decides to confess to the court of his affair with Abigail, after confessing to

Dear ladies and gentlemen of the Appeals Court of Boston: I stand here today in representation of Elizabeth and John Proctor. While it is clear to me this trial has been closed. Hear me out, for the Proctors deserve a second trial. As Danforth was not fair in his justifications of the Proctor’s innocence. He was very fallacious in his reasoning. Which leads to the belief that the issue lies in the way Danforth handled this cases in its entirety. From the way he addressed the people in court and the way he accepted the information given by ones in the court.

Although Proctor had the option to save his life, he decided death would align with his moral compass and fulfill his pride. Prior to his trial, Elizabeth Proctor had encouraged her husband to deceive Danforth in order

Proctor desperately fought against two decision, either to lie and die and have a good name and for his generations to come or live and waste his name for his generations to come, even though, he could survive. Proctor says a line that proves all of the above “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! After all, His decision was to die in pride, and have his name for his next generations to come.

After John Proctor had courageously confessed to his adultery, everyone turned against him and he was deemed as a liar. In his cell, he was conflicted between lying so that he could live but also wanted to tell the truth because he, for once, wanted to stop lying. He did not want to leave Elizabeth again so in order to stay alive, he lied again. John Proctor was asked to gives names but he defended, “They think to go like saints. I like not to spoil their names”(Miller, 1230). But after truly wanting to find peace, he finally could not stand any longer to lie and voluntarily gives his life. When Reverend Hale pleaded Elizabeth to go change Proctor mind, Elizabeth replied, “He has his goodness. God forbid I take it from him!” (Miller, 1233). When Elizabeth said this, she’s saying that Proctor has redeem himself but in order to forgive himself, he needs to do this. His death, for him, meant he righted his wrongs and finally regain his respect and his dignity by dying for the

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. 

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

In the book John Proctor made the heroic decision of dying to save his family's name, it was an act of bravery and love. When John Proctor was accused of witchcraft he had two options. The first was to not admit to the crime and be hanged, or he could admit to witchcraft and live. Admitting to witchcraft meant ruining the family's name. The last name “Proctor” would be known as witches, the town would fear the family. If John admitted to the crime the family would have to walk around the town with people not liking or talking to them, their name would be ruined. John didn’t want that for his family. Instead he decided to sacrifice his life for the good of his children and wife. With John dying his children would be allowed to grow up the way they should, with a clean name and good reputation. John sacrificed his life to make sure his family could live the way they deserved. Self-sacrificing for the better good of the family is seen even in the Puritan times which is when The Crucible takes place.

"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.

The second moral dilemma John Proctor faces is to tell the truth and die as an honest man. He has the choice to either lie in order to live or die with his friends in an honourable way. Proctor realizes that if he choses to tell the truth he will no longer be the sinful man he thought he is, but would keep his name in good standing and be a good role model for his sons. “‘I have three children---how may I teach them to walk like men in the world, and I sold my friends?’” (IV.I). If John chooses to live he will be looked upon by his friends and family as a liar and an unmoral man. He will not be able to function in the Puritan society, so he comes to the conclusion to tell the truth and be put to death. He believes God will save him because he is doing the right thing by choosing to die and he will be remembered for his dignity. His wife Elizabeth watches the hanging and says, “‘He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!’” (IV.I). As Proctor is about to be hanged, sunlight shines throughout the town representing John made the right decision and he will be going to God. After all, John Proctor does give up his life, but he knows he saves his sons from walking around with a tainted name and keeps the names of his friends clean, not betraying them.

The only way John Proctor can save himself is by falsely confessing to being involved with witchcraft; however, he does not confess. This describes another example of situational irony. Proctor decides to tell the truth and not lie to himself because he now understands the meaning of a good reputation. As critic Richard Hayes says, “The dilemma of man, fallible, subject to pride, but forced to choose between the ‘negative good’ of truth and the morality, and the ‘positive good’ of human life under any dispensation.” Proctor would rather die than live with the town believing untrue statements about him. When Proctor is asked to explain why he decides to tell the truth he replies, “Because it is my name!...How may I live without

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.

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

Though his life would be speared, Proctor knew that his children’s lives would be affected when people knew of their father’s sins. Harming the wellbeing of his children to spear his own life and tarnishing his family name was in no way a possibility for Proctor as he stated, “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!” (143). Shortly after declining this agreement, Proctor was hung and condemned for his crimes.

John Proctor was the man who realised his good intentions too late, for his sin of lechery with Abigail Williams had already done so much damage that he had signed his death certificate, as well as many others, the minute he met her. The character John Proctor says, “ She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s