Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible develops characters that portray problems with their identities. This inner struggle is clearly seen in the main character John Proctor. He is the man Miller has chosen to struggle with “the dilemma of men, fallible, subject to pride, but forced to choose between the “negative good” of truth and morality, and the “positive good” of human life.” (Internet, Arthur Miller Home Page) In order for this character to develop, Miller had to create Proctors wife, Elizabeth. She would be the catalyst in making John Proctor deal with his inherent identity dilemma. With out her, Proctor would not be a central character, and would have never needed to deal with the inner …show more content…
Help Mr. Proctor as you were his daughter—you owe me that, and much more. When the children wake, speak nothing of witchcraft—it will frighten them. Oh, John, bring me soon.” We can see that she has little concern for herself, but that her family comes first. She is not concerned with how scared she is, just how frightened her children will be. Because of this emotional scene, John is forced to develop a new identity. One that is brave and strong and stands up to what he knows is right. Where before his sins were kept secret, he will now have to face the truth in order for his character to become strong. “I will fall like an ocean on that court! Fear nothing, Elizabeth.” Here John is committed to tell the truth, even if it exposes his affair with Abigail. The imagery of him falling like an ocean on the court is one that makes him appear to be mighty, like the waves of the sea. It implies that he will tell all of the truth, and drown the judges with information in order to save her life. He knows he is committed to the cause when he confronts Abigail. “My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness (Elizabeth) will not die for me!” John cannot turn back now. He has been shown the strength and bravery of his wife, and will now, at any cost, because of her, save this town from lies. As we near the end of the story, John
“You’re Honor, I-in that time I were sick. And I- My husband is a good and righteous man. He is never drunk as some are, nor wastin’ his time at the shovelboard, but always at his work. But in my sickness” (III.410-426).Even though he cheated in her with Abigail she is strong enough to lie for him. Her growth is also evident in the end of the play because Elizabeth shows tremendous courage and integrity letting go of John to. “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!”(IV.207-208). Elizabeth understood John’s motive and that took tremendous bravery for her to allow him to be get his redemption and be hanged. She now has the role of taking care of her and financially supporting her
29. The “promise” that Elizabeth wants John to do is to go to Abigail and to end the relationship between him and Abigail. John explains his anger by explaining that he is honest and that he promises to Elizabeth that he will curse Abigail hotter than the oldest cinder in hell. This explanation is not really convincing as John lied about his affair with Abigail before which made Elizabeth very displeased and annoyed about it.
When John says that Elizabeth is still judging him because of the affair he had with Abigail, Elizabeth says this quote. She is comparing John's conscience to a judge. He feels that she has not forgiven him even though she said that she forgave him. She states that it is his own guilty conscious and heart that he is sensing. Her saying this means she's not very sympathetic for all of his problems.
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”.
Elizabeth and Johns relationship is certainly not an easy one. Although having been married with two children the intrusion of Abigail could not have come at a worse time. With Elizabeth ill and Abigail’s personality being such a contrast John felt it as an escape from his wife’s absence. The affair that John had with Abigail puts a strain on their relationship creating a physical and emotional divide that the audience easily pick up on. On top of the affair, living in a puritan society which can be demeaning to women makes the
Elizabeth doesn’t beg John to confess because she thinks she isn’t the judge of him and he has too much pride and dignity. His life is also on the line so he has to make this decision himself.
In act I, John has shown his sinful past with Abigail and his hatred towards authority. John and Abby talk for a bit about his past with her and John shows mixed emotions but overall wants to forget about her. “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut of my hand before I reach for
In all four acts of the play, the false notion lead intertwined into each other, bringing innocent people down with them, including John himself. John had confessed to his prior sins with Abigail and told Elizabeth to tell the truth to the court, she didn’t realize that he had already admitted to his affair with Abigail. Elizabeth defends John in court by lying to save her and her family’s name. Elizabeth meant well, did she not? This is the common flaw in us all, we try to do good to protect our names to such an extent that it in the end, some lives have been taken for the sake of your good name in the village.
However, John just becomes angered when Elizabeth does not want to forgive him for his betrayal. This makes his feeling of guilt worse, and forgiving himself harder. “I see what I see John...Spare me you forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’...I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you and still an everlasting funeral marches around your heart, every moment judged for lies.” (55) Proctor becomes desperate for Elizabeth’s forgiveness but her distant behavior makes his feeling of guilt worse, and forgiving himself harder. Elizabeth’s heartbreak causes her to think that John and Abigail are not over yet, and is stumped on the thought of whether or not to forgive him. John’s goal of making amends with Elizabeth were not going as planned. He didn’t really care for Elizabeth’s thoughts he just was in need of her forgiveness and his goodness back. This specific piece of textual evidence proves the claim because Elizabeth was telling John that she sees the way Abigail looks at John. However, John becomes determined to prove to Elizabeth that the what happened is over, but she does not believe this. John tries to be a good husband by telling her that all he tries to do is please her and make her happy. The piece of textual evidence shows that John states that whatever he does there is still heartbreak and sadness around Elizabeth’s heart. She still believes that there is more that John has not said that has happened before him and
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
However Abigail takes pride in her hysteria. This highlights the fact that the age difference between these 2 women is phenomenal. “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” Elizabeth is much more composed than Abigail, even though she is losing her husband she is happy for him, as she believes he is now at peace. Throughout the play John struggles with his feelings that he was not a good man. Hale tried his best to save John from being hanged to death but Elizabeth believes that he is finally going to be cleansed of his sins, as he has finally come out the dark about his affair. She loves him so much that she is willing to let him go. She feels that he is doing the right thing. She takes the name of God to justify herself.
A quote from this part of the story “I will fall like an ocean on the court! Fear nothing Elizabeth.” (miller 78) this means that Proctor plans on sweeping across the court, and making an impact on everyone. “The girl is murder! She must be ripped out of the world!” (Miller 76) means, Elizabeth Proctor just found out that Abigail has said she stuck the needle in her stomach, when Abigail watched Mary put the needle in the poppet earlier that day. So John is willing to get anything he can to save Elizabeth and clear her name, also Elizabeth is angry that Abigail is accusing her of witchcraft. With Elizabeth being accused of witchcraft, the relationships between John and he begins to
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, hysteria breaks out in Salem when young girls begin pronouncing accusations of witchcraft. One of the accused, Elizabeth Proctor and her husband, John Proctor, live on a farm where he provides and cares for their family. When Elizabeth becomes sick John is unfaithful and has an affair with one of the accusers, Abigail Williams. Through the course of the story, John Proctor moves from denial and deflection of his actions and their consequences in order to maintain his public dignity, to public confession and condemnation for his actions in order to soothe his conscience and maintain his internal sense of integrity. This progression is illustrated by his interactions with his wife, their accusers and the court, who ultimately condemns them.
John proves that he puts his companions above everything else with his wife Elizabeth. He proves this by putting his life at risk just to demonstrate that she is not guilty. He also wants to correct his past mistakes and make up for his affair with Abigail to his wife. John once told his wife during a disagreement, “Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothing. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there without I think
He knows that if he comes out, he will hurt Elizabeth, but if he does not come out it will also just end up hurting her. John admits his sins in Act 4, “I act my own sins; I cannot judge another.” (Miller 239). He wants to save Elizabeth by coming out with his sins to the devil. Therefore, he ended up sacrificing that commitment and sinned to it. He hurt Elizabeth the woman he loves, for some girl and a sin, he made the sacrifice of losing who he is and what he stands for. His one lie questioned all of his