Reputation In The Crucible Research Paper

Quote 1: Proctor has confessed to adultery and given himself and Abigail a bad reputation. In a community like Salem this sort of behaviour resulted in punishment since it was considered unholy. The people who admit their sins are spared, and the ones who don´t are hanged, which is not the most logical approach. John´s confession is important because he is willing to have a bad reputation in order to achieve

In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem, Massachusetts prove time and time again that they care more about their reputations than the events that are taking place and how these events are affecting the people around them. Having a good reputation can be a good thing but when being concerned about your reputation clouds your judgement, that is when it becomes a dilemma. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses having a good reputation, the character of Parris, and how reputation and The Crucible tie into modern life to enlighten the reader that even though having a good reputation is great, it should not cloud one’s ability to see the harm they are doing to others.

“It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently” (Warren Buffett). Arthur Miller was a well known American playwright, essayist and a very important figure in the American theater. Arthur wrote some very important plays throughout his life and The Crucible was one of them. The Crucible is a very well written play about the Salem Witch Trials and how the people chose their own reputation rather than telling the truth and having a consequence for it. Having a good reputation in a small town like Salem is very crucial. This is evident throughout the acts in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. John Proctor,

In the play “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller, demonstrates a them that is represented in each character in which they all treasure the most, and that is reputation. Abigail Williams is charged with participation in which craft, and tries save herself by confessing to the court all of the names of the girls she seen with the devil. Reverend Parris is worried about his status in Salem because he is worried that the rehearsal of witchcraft was in his home, and that it might ruin him. Lastly there’s Judge Danforth, and he wants to prove to all and others in the court that he knows how to do his job and he wants respect from the town of Salem. Reputation is a key theme in this play because reputations is important to human lives as well. We all want to be known for great successes and at times we feel that we want to be accepted in society, just like these characters.

Reputation is something that one holds above their head to keep their good name safe. Everyone has their own reputation that they have made up for themselves in their own mind. Not only have they made one up for themselves but others make one for them too. There are several people in the Crucible who value their reputation over the truth. Having a good reputation on one’s name is good in the small town of Salem. It helps to have a good name because it makes people want to help with business. There were three important people in the Crucible who valued their reputation the most, John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Parris.

As we all know reputation is a really big deal in today’s society. Hardly any kid can be themselves because they are so scared they won't fit in or be popular. Many adults feel the same way. If there neighbor buys a boat, they feel like they should buy one to just fit in. In “The Crucible” it is the same way reputation is very important to them and they don’t want to ruin there reputation even if it is gonna sacrifice them being alive, they want to make sure they keep their good name in the community. In this novel there were a bunch of characters who cared about their reputation. Parris, Abigail, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor. The main two who cared about their reputation would be Abigail and John. Many characters in “The Crucible” are concerned about their reputations. Two of the main characters especially concerned with the betrayal of their reputations are Abigail and John.

The good side and bad of John Proctor both affect the play as a whole. His good character of always striving for what is right helped stop the whole witch trials. During this statement, John observed how his action effected others; “Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence!” (150). Here he shows that he was willing to give his life to stop the hysteria and save many lives even if it would cost his life. He was a man that tried to do what was right and this turned the majority’s view point in Salem away from the court and saving many innocent people from the noose. However, there was a wicked side of John Proctor as well. Elizabeth, in this statement, explains what she believes motivates Abigail during this time; “Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote one now— I am sure she does— and thinks to kill me, then to take my place” (64). Elizabeth

John Proctor was a man with good reputation in Salem who wished to see justice in his town and was willing to make a compromise to see that justice, this is seen when Proctor is in the courtroom and says “A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is. . . . 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 vengeance.” Proctor confesses his affair with Abigail, after attempting to expose her without revealing the truth about their relationship as he believes the truth would ruin his reputation. This scene, in the Salem courtroom, can be considered a turning point in the play, where Proctor’s thirst for justice finally outweighs his efforts to keep a good reputation. This allows Proctor to attempt to expose Abigail since he no longer has anything to hide. Although Proctor made a valid attempt to bring peace to Salem by compromising his reputation it came a little too late, instead of Abigail and the witch trials being exposed as a hoax, Proctor is called a liar and he is then accused of witchcraft by the court. Along with making compromises Proctor is able to bring justice by creating a common understanding of the issue at hand this is seen when Proctor says “If she is

In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, one of the many themes that stands out to most people is the importance of a having a good name and reputation. Miller uses certain characters outcomes in the play to prove that reputation was actually not the biggest concern. He consistently shows that reputation means nothing when it came to being accused during the Salem Witch Trials because many innocent people were killed. People began to use these accusations for their own benefit and that’s when it became chaotic. These random accusations of witchcraft could immediately cause someone’s admirable reputation to disappear. He provides evidence in the play through most characters that we would consider to have a good reputation such as: Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Proctor, and John Proctor.

Reputation; what significance does this one word have that a Spanish proverb states, “He who has lost his reputation is a dead man among the living”? According to the townspeople in theocratic Salem, an individual was to become prestigious and sacrifice everything for a good name. There was no such thing as private moralities, instead, a person’s reputation was a public matter showcased for the town to judge and discern. Nothing is more unimaginable than having to lose an influential position. Throughout the play “The Crucible”, individuals base their actions on safeguarding or earning a standing. Miller uses the characterization of Reverend Parris and John Proctor to demonstrate that when one exclusively focuses on the preservation of their reputation, one is more likely t o use outrageous actions and deception to hide one’s faults.

Since Abigail is the Reverends niece and grew up with a pastor in the household it seems as if she should be very humble and a good person but her human nature took a toll making her greedy therefore making her dishonest and deceptive. She is afraid that people won’t agree with her, that motivates her to get people on her side. She then falsely accuses others of witchcraft and her being the victim. Witchcraft was taken very seriously back then and it ended up ripping apart the town and caused non stop fighting by almost everyone. Abigail’s main motive is John Proctor so she tries to lie to John about his wife to get him to fall for her “She is blackening my name in the village she is telling lies about me she’s a cold swiveling

The importance of reputation in Salem is illustrated through John Proctor’s personal struggle. Proctor is conflicted with the two options he encounters- telling the truth, or confessing to a crime he did not commit. This opposing conflict is displayed through ethos within the play The Crucible. Arthur Miller establishes this fundamental concept of reputation by applying anaphora as well as characterization to his writing.

John Proctor longs to protect his name. After being falsely accused of witchcraft, out of spite by Abigail Williams, Proctor could easily save himself at the mere price of his reputation by lying and admitting to committing the crime of witchcraft. John battles with himself between doing the honorable thing and hanging alongside his friends for a lie or saving himself from the gallows and living with the burden of knowing that he dishonored his fellow prisoners.Although Proctor does admit to witchcraft, he refuses to sign over his precious name on it. John explains,

One reason why Abigail is responsible for the death of innocent Salemites is because she makes up lies and stories about the people involved in the witchcraft. “Sometimes I wake and find myself standing in the open doorway and not a stich on my body. I always hear her laughing in my sleep. I hear her singing her Barbados songs and tempting me with-” (Miller, 156). In this quote Abigail is talking about Tituba, the slave of Mr. and Mrs. Proctor, to Mr. Danforth. She made up a story about Tituba putting her under a spell and doing things to her at night. Abigail is also the first person to accuse someone of

The novel “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller portrays the Salem witch trials, under which the concept of reputation plays a role. During the novel, accusations are placed on innocent people for the sake of saving their own reputation. The same idea of maintaining a pleasant stature is well known in today’s society. During the period of the book in the late 1600’s, if one were to create an unsatisfactory status in the town or city, they were looked on as a sinner. The effects of that today would earn you fewer friends or it would worsen relationships. There are multiple ways that the story and events in real life connect, while at the same time disconnect. The feeling of respect expresses itself in many ways throughout the play, as well as, real life. There are many different points to which the characters in the book and people in current times represent reputation.