Ashley Baca
Mrs. Bomar
English III
17 November 2014
Integrity
Integrity means adhering to a strict moral or code, being undivided, completeness, or being honest with yourself. With Patience, wisdom, and a willingness to sacrifice for others, Nelson Mandela showed integrity in many ways. Throughout his life, Mandela proved his loyalty of integrity not just by being president, but by the things he did in his past to get to where he got before he passed. In the play, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, many characters show integrity by admitting their mistakes and staying loyal to their morals by refusing to lie. A few characters with integrity are John Proctor and Giles Corey. These few loyal characters chose to protect their integrity rather than throw it away in a lie to save their life and punish another. An examination of the integrity of both Nelson Mandela and the various characters from “The Crucible” will show the link between the two. Nelson Mandela was a loyal, integrity filled man. He kept his morals strong. When he wasn’t out fighting for his rights or with his family he was out saving his country and starting something so big so that everyone could live equally. Mandela was one of many men who were accused of the wrong thing. He was accused because he was feared by some. Although, Mandela’s life took some rough turns he “chose to learn from his mistakes rather than repeat them” (SunSentinel). Mandela’s integrity not only helped him live through the extraordinary circumstances but also allowed him to become a leader of his country and save his divided nation. Many followed, trusted, cared and some even mentioned that “[he] was part George Washington and part Martin Luther King Jr.” (SunSentinel). Mandela was the kind of man to not take life for granted, but to take it by the root and hold on till the final days were to come. In the play, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, there are a few characters that show integrity. One that stands out is John Proctor, a strong but unfaithful farmer whom gets accused of witchery. Proctor is given the chance to confess himself of witchery. The courts want him to sign a legal statement of his actions, to post on the church doors. They feel that if the community sees that an honest man confessed, they will feel that it's all right to confess also. Of course Proctor refuses to sign. He knows that a false admission would not only dishonor him, but also strain his public reputation and destroy his “…. 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!” (Miller ?), this clearly shows John feels he cannot betray his friends who are prepared to die for what is right and it is at this point in the play which we see John finally redeem himself. At this stage in the play he has forgiveness from Elizabeth and from himself and he now feels in order to do the right thing he must die an honest man believing in what is right. Proctor has high levels of integrity, by refusing to give up his personal integrity. Another character that stands out with an integrity filled death is Giles Corey. He