Who Is Responsible For John Proctor's Downfall

Within the community of Salem, John Proctor is a well known member of the community who has a reputation of always doing what’s right. When he is confronted by Abigail about their affair, she insults his wife, Elizabeth, by calling her “a cold, sniveling woman…”(I.202-205). He does what is right by defending his wife’s honor by snapping back, “You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth!” (I.197-198). Even

In the novel The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is a local farmer in the town of Salem, he is quite known due to his high reputation of being well respected and even slightly feared. John is a man of his integrity, he is considered to have an honorable name in his community, but John also has a great disdain for hypocrisy, yet has a secret of his own. In Act 1, John is described to be in his mid-30’s and as well as “a kind man, powerful of body, even tempered, and not easily led” (Miller 19). John Proctor is an independent man who has great strength in what he does and what he believes in. Throughout the play, John feels nothing but guilt about his little secret, cheating on his wife Elizabeth Proctor with Abigail. He has committed

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

Elizabeth finds it difficult to forgive him, as she does not know whether she can trust him. Proctor also keeps it secret from the public of Salem, fearing the town will see him as an outcast for such a sin. However, Proctor reveals his integrity when he states, “Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. 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, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands, I know you must see it now. My wife is innocent, except she know a whore when she see one.” (102). Fearing what might happen to his wife, or even the town due to these witch trials, John decides to reveal his ultimate sin of his adultery. By doing this, he hopes the town will see Abigail’s wicked ways and turn against her and the witch trials as a whole. By doing this, John reveals his willingness to give up his own reputation in the town, for his wife and all those the trial affects, displaying his true integrity. John reveals his integrity once again when he claims, “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man . . . My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before” (126). John displays integrity here by being honest about his mistakes. He gives no justification for

     John Procter is a strong man, who thrives at the chance to be right and known. But by the end of the play he questions himself saying, “Who is John Proctor, Who is John Proctor?” (act 4). The trials to John Proctor are a time of change. When Reverend Hale enters the town John leaves in disgust, he knows the girls are lying. John’s pride springs from his feeling of being smarter then the rest of the town. He was constantly found bickering with Reverend Parris about unnecessary expenses. He is worried to speak at the trials for he would condemn himself as a lecher. His wife has her finger on his button though because after the affair, she uses his guilt so he will promise to accuse Abigail. As soon as John steps into the trials he is labeled as a witch and condemned to death. But from his own pride is unable to confess. But at the same time he does not want to die for such an absurd reason.

In the first two acts John is described as a middle aged man known to be a husband, a father and a farmer. John proctor is a very prideful man. He does not believe he is ever wrong, and refuses to be controlled. He is also very harsh and goes to the extreme when he explains his feelings. In Act I and II he is caught as a lecher. He cheated on his wife Elizabeth with their servant Abigail. Once the wife found out, abigail was put out but John Proctor never accepted full responsibility nor punishment for doing this. Lechery was a sin during this time in Salem, Massachusetts. When Abigail tries to profound this love she has for john, he denies they were ever together. He says, “We never touched

Elizabeth is telling John that she thinks Abigail is trying to kill her to end up with John. This shows Abigail's selfish intentions and how she wants Elizabeth to die. John Proctor went to court to show that Abigail is faking and that there is not actually witchcraft in Salem. At court John is accused of witchcraft but he decides he would rather die than lose his good name in the town. This shows why Abigail is most to blame for the deaths of innocent people in Salem because she accused Elizabeth which caused John Proctor to die.

Although John Proctor is a man of stature, he does suffer from a tragic flaw. His tragic flaw is sin. His sin is the affair he had with Abigail when she was working for him as a maid. It becomes evident in the first act of the play that when Abigail and John speak he committed adultery. Abigail says “I know you clutched my back behind your house”(22). This sin weighs very heavily on his conscience and causes problems between him and Elizabeth, his wife. At the beginning of Act 2 conversation between the two of them is very strained but eventually

John Proctor shows his courage many ways including going to talk to abigail about ending the accusations she has been taking part in. Even though he knew upsetting abigail could lead her to accusing people he loved he went and did it anyways to try and protect the people of salem. Some may say he only talked to Abigail because he wanted to ensure that his wife was safe from being accused, but that is false because he wanted the witch trials to stop completely not just for his wife to be exempt from them. After Abigail refuses to stop her accusations John takes a different approach.

John proctor was a successful farmer who lived outside of town, Married to his wife Elizabeth Proctor. John Proctor was called over to the home of reverend parris to help determine if Abigail ,who is the niece of reverend parris, Is In fact a witch. John proctor then realizes that the rumors are true of the witchcraft talk that his has heard around town. John proctor knows the truth about Abigail but does not tell. Why? John Proctor committed MAL behavior with Abigail, He had an affair with a 17 year old girl while married to his wife Elizabeth. He knows that if he tells the truth about Abigail being a witch that the truth will come out about him and his affair, so he tells lies to keep

John Proctor is a man that everyone in Salem knows. Everyone in Salem has respect for John Proctor because he is a man who has a mind like no others because he is constantly thinks outside the box. John Proctor is always thinking outside the box by taking it to the extreme, and never gives a simple answer. His thoughts provoke the towns people by showing his imagination. John Proctor is a caring man who has great respect for everyone in the town because he doesn’t want to see innocent people sent on a death trial for something that they did not do at all. John Proctor is very unexpressed. The reason why he is unexpressed is because he shows mentally he shows no guilt, but physically he shows guilt toward the towns people. Finally, with false confessions, this leads him to his final breath of life because with Abigail lying this allows the court to go on her

He shares a deep love with his wife and is committed to her. Even though Proctor had an affair with Abigail and denied it for the longest time he wanted to protect his wife from the truth. He truly regrets what he did and wouldn't go back to Abigail. Abigail still wanted to pursue the affair, but John Proctor told her “Abby, I never give you hope to wait for me.” (1043). Proctor still loved his wife and wanted the best for her. In the trial Elizabeth was trying to protect Proctor in the beginning. He didn't want Elizabeth to go down for his wrongs in life so he told her “Elizabeth, tell the truth!”

John Proctor cares too much for his name to take action against the witch trials. Elizabeth asked him to go to the court and tell them it's a fake. Elizabeth demands, “I would go to Salem now, John - let you go tonight.” (Miller 162). John is very hesitant about the going to Salem. He doesn't want his good name to be ruined because of the affair with Abigail. John replies “I’ll think on it.” (Miller 163). John feels as if he goes to Salem he would have to confess to cheating on his wife with an underage girl. He does not

John Proctor lived in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem had been struck with witchcraft rumors that were started by a manipulative teenage girl named Abigail. He knows that the girls were sporting, and blaming innocent people of supernatural crimes that cannot occur. John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth had been accused of witchery, as a form of revenge from Abigail. Abigail had strong feelings for John Proctor, and wanted to get rid of Elizabeth. In the end John Proctor tried to do the right thing by saving his wife from his own sins. Therefore his sins put the love of his life in a great risk of dying. Throughout The Crucible John Proctor was seen as a smart, argumental and brave man. However, the town did not see him as a puritan or a good

John Proctor was a “farmer in his middle thirties… strong, even-tempered, and not easily led” (20). Proctor’s reputation was good and he was a well respected man around Salem. The play shows that Proctor’s past involved him having an affair with Abigail. Now in the present, Proctor is conflicted with the fear of being labeled as an adulterer for his past. Proctor’s fear weakens his morality in the court when he has to explain the situation to Judge Danforth. Proctor tells Danforth that he “has known her” (110) and that Abigail wishes to “dance with me (Proctor) on my wife's grave” (110). Although the fear of being labeled as an adulterer and being charged of lechery, Proctor believes that telling the truth is the right thing to do. Proctor realizes that the Salem witch trials have gone to far and are merely just attempts from Abigail to get Proctor all to herself. Proctor’s fear initially holds him back from telling the court the reason why Abigail is accusing everyone and acting strange. Later on the unveiling of his affair with Abigail results in the trials being questioned but it also fuels the deadly fate of