Noah Lopez
4th hour
Honors Sophomore American Literature
10/15/13
The Crucible Analyzed You know what’s really fun? Reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller and analyzing how the experiences of a character or two relate and do not relate to the actual Puritans; both religiously and politically! It’s just exhilarating! Take John Proctor for example. Just like many Puritans, he was a strong believer in God and wouldn’t lie to save his life: quite literally I might add. Proctor was hanged because he was accused of witchcraft and dealing with the Devil. Generally in Puritan times in Salem, if someone was suspicious of being a witch or having any collaboration with Satan then they were to be hanged unless they admitted to it. What John Proctor went through with his trial relates to Puritans greatly. John Proctor also committed lechery (adultery). If he hadn’t already been accused of being a “witch” then he would’ve been in trouble for being an adulterer. Puritans believed that no sin should go unpunished in the eyes of God. Both being a “witch” and committing adultery were major sins according to the Puritans. They both connect to how the Puritans actually lived. One way Proctor’s experiences were not the same as a normal Puritan’s would’ve been is the fact that the judge would’ve let him live in peace with no jail time if he confessed. If Proctor were to “sign [his] testimony” the he would’ve been saved from the gallows. Judge Danforth told John that if he confessed to