The Crucible And The Film `` High Noon ``

Accepting one’s shame inevitably generates a sense of expiation and even plants the seeds for the nurturing of newfound self-regard and self-esteem. That is why he right away bids Elizabeth to tell him “what would” she “have” him “do”, as well as appeals to her to have her “forgiveness”. The latter request denotes John’s urgent need to alleviate his own guilt and be able to believe again in and act pursuant his reaffirmed “goodness”, his identity as John Proctor. Moreover, John’s obvious concern about his soul’s fate in this act testifies to the definitive passing of his nihilistic crisis (e.g. “it is a vanity that will not blind God” he says when referring to the potential hazards of choosing not to confess), while his preoccupation with his posthumous reputation (“my name I cannot sign” he says when he decides to confess but realizes that his name will be forever maligned owing to his false confession being publicly known) shows a man who is looking ahead, to the future, not someone who has lost all hope and has withdrawn from

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a tragic play set in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, where Miller uses the Salem Trials as a metaphor for the 1950s McCarthy hearings. In Salem, people value their good names. The Puritan community acts as a theocracy in which there appears to be no right to privacy, and people must conform to a strict moral code. The theme of reputation, lying, and deceit are shown in Abigail, John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Mary Warren, and other characters. In the play’s dialogue, Miller uses Biblical allusions, situational irony, and dramatic irony to develop these themes.

When asked why he will not sign the confession, Proctor dramatically replies, “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, Act IV). John Proctor sees no good coming out of a false confession; even death would be preferable to it. He claims his name is more important than his life and even goes as far as to hold it in more favor than his soul. Proctor implies that his name is what gives him his humanity, “Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang!” and his sense of self, “Because I cannot have another in my life!” Furthermore, he attests that, without his name, he would not be able to be a proper 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?” (143, Act IV). Making a false confession would damage Proctor’s self-worth and integrity enough to make him an unfit father. Yet, as he refuses to betray himself, Proctor sees a glimmer of hope in his conscience, “I do see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.” (144, Act IV). Proctors sacrifice does more than benefit Salem, it relives his burden of guilt and preserves his identity. That “shred of goodness” in him is enough to give him the principles to stand up to the unjust officials of the

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

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. 

Despite his being an insignificant and non-status-holding member of society, John Proctor is a much-respected man in Salem. However, in determining his fate, he continues to make several critical and irreversible mistakes that harm his reputation. For fear of being exiled in a town where reputation plays such a large role in their daily lives, Proctor initially tries to hide his crime of adultery, but his affair with Abigail triggers a major series of events in Salem, where simple, unproven accusations escalate to a far larger issue: “Abby—you mean to cry out still others?” “If I live, if I am not murdered, I surely will, until the last hypocrite is dead” (Miller 150). In the end, Proctor decides that for the sake of his desperate circumstances, it would be better to admit to his affair, but by the time he decides to reveal his crime, it is too late to reverse all past actions. He is convicted of witchcraft and doomed to be hanged, later, when given a chance to live, he caves in and confesses to seeing the Devil, only to go back even on this last lie, because he does not have the heart to be freed and saved by a lie.

Honor - we often hear this word thrown around in daily conversation. Whether talking about respected members of the community or characters in novels and films, the word honor is used repeatedly. What does honor really mean, though? The answer to that question is certainly not simple, as the definition of honor differs from person to person. This idea of the various types of honor can be shown through comparing the protagonist, John Proctor, in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, to Will Kane in the movie “High Noon”, directed by Frank Zinnemann. Proctor struggles with trying to find his definition of honor as it changes from being held accountable by society’s standards to his own private moral of truth.

Antitheical to the course of many other characture’s personal narratives, John Proctor’s downfall ocurs at

as his beliefs. This paper will discuss Proctor's change in character and his struggle with getting to

“I have made a bell of my honor!” (III.221). Honor, by simple definition, is high respect, but to an individual, the word has a greater meaning. In choosing to be honorable, a person can feel a large sense of satisfaction, though sometimes being dishonorable can still reap benefits. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, he displays how sometimes the dishonorable benefit, and the honorable are persecuted. Honor continues to be reverent throughout the play in the actions of protagonist and antagonist, the opinions of others, and accusations against the guilty and innocent.

In these turbulent times, trust is forgone, temptations are overpowering, and sacrifice is needed. John Proctor’s death was a necessary evil needed to sway the people and forgo the court's power over life and death.

John states “God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it…” (193 L. 864-868). These reasons show why John Proctor is honorable for confessing his

The Crucible, authored by Arthur Miller, captures John Proctor’s sacrifices that ultimately emphasizes the value he places on his reputation. In an effort to preserve the only thing left for himself, Proctor exclaims to those around him that “I have given you my soul; leave me my name” (Miller 130). Once he was met with the realization

Honor, abstract in definition, is elucidated by communities and its individuals. It is a changing force, that can be approached from many different perspectives and has been interpreted countless ways. Honor used to be interpreted as a code that members of a community would follow in order to be recognized with esteem and respect. Over time, honor has been determined by the individual, regardless of other interpretations. An individual would build their honor manifesto on the values they deem necessary to live an honorable life, honorable according to their definition. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor prioritizes love. Will Kane, from the film “High Noon”, directed by Fred Zinnemann, values responsibility. John Proctor and