Look closely at the meeting between john proctor and Elizabeth proctor in the prison in act 4. In what ways does it show their relationship to have changed from earlier in the play? How does Miller make this episode both moving and tragic?
Miller saw a connection between the Salem witch trials in the 17th century, and the McCarthy trials of the 1950’s. What he wrote about was based on theory, which is linked to the 1950’s trials. Miller is using the Salem witch trials to criticise the American society. He talks about Proctors tragedy to show how culture and belief can ruin innocent lives.
In act 2 John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor’s relationship develops.
At first John takes extra care to make sure that he doesn’t say
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I think not.” John is fed up of being judged by Elizabeth.
The relationship is very distant and this is shown when they are both arguing and judging. Mr Hale makes an unexpected visit to the
Proctor’s house to ask some questions. A question was asked to John for him to recite the Ten Commandments. He manages to recite nine and is stuck on adultery. It is here that Elizabeth steps in to help him.
John then says, “Between the two of us we do know them all.” This sentence shows that they have come together because they are saying that together they know the Ten Commandments instead of individually knowing them. This scene brings John and Elizabeth together a bit, as
John needed Elizabeth to help him and she did. It is the first time that their relationship shows closeness in the play.
However he shows his love for Elizabeth again when at the end of this scene she is taken away in chains and he cries “I will fall like an ocean on the court” This showing that he will not give up until
Elizabeth is out from jail and not being accused. When he says that he will fall on the court like an ocean it denotes that he will fight the court. The word ocean when he used it in that sentence connotes him being huge like an ocean and powerful. He is going to crush the court.
Earlier in this scene some people come round with a warrant to take
Proctors wife and to search his house. When the
John Proctor is a character that I truly hold close to my heart because our life experiences are very similar. He admits his wrongs, he is strong in his beliefs, and he is able to withstand temptation. I believe John Proctor is such a strong person inside and out because he has been through a lot and never gives up on his faith in God.
Today I am writing to you, thinking about all of our lovely memories we have had in Salem as a wonderful married couple. I am writing this letter to you because I wanted to day my last few words to you before you are hanged. How did everything go from having a lovely life to, you being sentence to death because you confessed about being in contact with the devil? Also, I feel this is completely my fault, and I am the breakdown of our family. I have a lot of regrets from our marriage that I caused. I let Abigail get the best of me, and it ruined our marriage and now I am not going to have a husband anymore because you are going to die. I really regret our fight in our house after you got home. I remember
People’s true character is revealed through their actions. Their morals and ethics can be told from how they choose to act in a situation. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible; the character of John Proctor is an honorable man despite having committed wrongful acts. He was able to redeem himself through acts that is considered courageous, such as when he refuses to contribute to the lie of witchcraft in Salem, when he fights for the people who were convicted of witchcraft and when he regrets being a dishonest man.
“The relationship between John proctor and his wife is not an easy one” Through close analysis of three scenes discuss Miller’s dramatic presentation of the relationship and how the audience respond to it. Draft
In Act 3 you see that he is doing his best to fulfill his promise to
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, various characters, whether it is from physical trials or unseen personal struggles, experience some kind of major conflict. There are those who spend every day in fear, wondering whether or not they will be falsely accused of witchcraft. There are others who struggle with more internal trials, such as forgiving those who have hurt them. The protagonist, John Proctor, was a man of strong moral constitution, and held himself to a high standard for the sake of his good name and family. As a result of this, he struggled with a major internal conflict throughout the play.
"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.
Proctor has gone from a hot-headed adulterer into a person who truly seeks redemption and to make things right with his wife, Elizabeth. Proctor was not truthful in the beginning of the play, however towards the end of the play he relinquished his pride in order to maintain the truth. Proctor died for what he believes in, he went from a sinner to an empathic hero and finally he became a person with high morals and honesty. Miller is trying to convey through the character, John Proctor, that a person should always stand up for what you believe in, no matter the circumstances. Proctor ____ that outside forces can influence a person’s morals, however those influences do not control the person, you can change the affect influences have. John Proctor’s morals, honesty, and beliefs were questioned throughout the play, only to be strong as ever at the
Arthur Miller’s play ‘The Crucible’ many characters relationships go through changes. The relationship that changes the most dramatically is John and Elizabeth Proctor. Their relationship starts as uncomfortable and rocky, but through the course of the play, they reconnect and love again.
“I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang.” John Proctor is the protagonist of the Crusible, though for the first two acts, he does little to effect the flow of the story as the reader is introduced to their setting. One is thrown into Salem village as the sparks of accuzations begin to fly setting ablaze paranoya in the name of witchcraft. Abigail Williams, our antagonist uses a lie to cover up her mistakes and decides to get something out of it when she discovers that people are ignorant enough to believe her. She takes the chance to throw allegations of witchery onto John’s innocent wife, Elizabeth. The thrust behind this action comes from the fact that a year earlier she had found her way into John Proctor’s arms and with his wife out of the picture, they could dance together on her grave… though Abigail had been in his arms, she had never been in his heart. Abigail would loose complete control of her seemingly simple scheme as she would loose her only purpose she had left in life- John. John Proctors downfall occurs before our story ever begins.We watch his once stregnths become his weaknesses. The standards he held for himself were shattered and he fumbled in picking up the pieces. His downfall did not end his story, but began it as he would have to rebuild his honor and self respect when it mattered the most.
We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started”(Henry Ward Beecher). In 1692 Salem, Massachusetts Madness is consuming Salem, and everyone is accused of being with the devil. John Proctor’s affair with Abigail jump starts the witch hunts. In the Crucible Arthur Miller embodies Proctor as a tragic hero with many flaws but his fatal flaw was his pride which caused his demise. Throughout the play we witness Proctor’s transformation as a person from a sinful remorseless adulterer, repentant, and to an honorable man.
“Hale: Quail not before God’s judgment in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws away for pride” (206). Reverend Hale’s eye-opening words make Elizabeth realize that John Proctor should do the right thing for God, even if that includes lying. This quote relates to the Salem witch trials because during this time, the court was getting involved with the town, so everybody had to constantly tell the truth. Overall, the play gives a feeling of the Salem witch trials by using facts and events relevant to the time period. On a similar topic, Arthur Miller feels that everybody is vindictive, manipulating, and betraying each other; therefore, Miller uses his troublesome experience to commemorate the demeaning investigations of witches. Miller’s high disapproval of the American government, especially how the court handles situations, is greatly represented in his play. The characters change throughout the story, and they start to realize that it is not all about what the government wants for their life. They soon enough start thinking and speaking for themselves which leads to big decisions and disapproval from the American government. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, he artistically manipulates the authentic facts of the Salem witch trials’ victim John Proctor to fiction in order to similarly represent his interrogation during the Red Scare while also putting a spin on the trials through his style, characterization and tone.
Arthur Miller’s 1953 allegorical tale, The Crucible draws attention to the social disharmony in Salem’s strict and defective Puritan theocracy. Through his portrayal of key characters, Miller constructs how compromising integrity can destory relationships through John Proctor and Elizabeth.
all faith in him, she feels that he does not want to prove Abigail is
A wise philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “even today a crude sort of persecution is all that is required to create an honorable name for any sect, no matter how indifferent in itself.” People who are guilty of nothing spend their entire lives trying to uphold an honorable name, but depending on the circumstances they may have to sacrifice their life in order to do so. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, people in the town of Salem, Massachusetts are put through severe trials to see if they are guilty of practicing witchcraft. Many people are falsely accused, but decide to confess to something that they never did to save their own lives. By confessing, they are throwing away their name and reputation. John Proctor is among the many who are wrongfully accused. He must make a challenging decision whether to die honorably or to live with a slandered name that would affect his children’s future. John Proctor’s great dilemma changes throughout the course of the play because he faces having to appeal to Abigail, his wife, and the court all while attempting to uphold his respectable reputation.