Defining a Hero
Often times in history, people reward others who've sacrificed their lives doing deeds beyond measure. At the same time, carrying out small acts of kindness can also label people as "heroes." In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a prominent character that goes by the name of John Proctor displays what society would classify a person as a hero. However, society is so blinded by how he had justifiably reacted when he had faced his time in trial that they did not realize that he was just another human being facing problems of his own and trying to eradicate them and all rumors of the sort. Although he unfortunately faces desolation in the end of the novel, he portrays what a righteous human being would do without receiving the title of a hero.
In the beginning of the novel, Proctor is introduced as a horrible figure during the Salem Witch trials. With an overruling lust in his heart, he falls into temptation by having an affair with Abigail Williams. This fatal flaw of his is what leads to chaos and tragedy in the village of Salem. Not only does he commit adultery, but he also fails to confess his crucial flaw. Others may cancel his potential of being a hero and mark him as a villain, but he proves to the readers that he is only human. In addition, when he shouts to Danforth, “It (Abigail) is a whore,” he only wants to unravel the truth behind her scheme. In detail, he only wants to prove justice.
Throughout the novel, John Proctor starts to undergo a change mentally. With all of the guilt of his sin eating him alive, he argues against Danforth that the devil exists within people and not through souls or ghosts. He tries to prove justice once again by trying to tell the truth to Danforth. Again, he is scrutinized and starts to sink back into the hands of evil. Although we know that John Proctor is an honest and good man, he does not show it until the end of the novel.
In the arrival of the conclusion in the novel, John finally blossoms and shows his true caliber. He exclaims to Danforth “Because it is my name! Because I
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a classical tragedy, with John Proctor as the play’s protagonist. Honest, upright, and blunt-spoken, Proctor is a good man, but one with a secret, fatal flaw. His lust for Abigail Williams led to their affair. This created Abigail’s jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth, which sets the entire witch frenzy in motion. Once the trials begin, Proctor realizes that he can stop Abigail’s rampage through Salem but only if he confesses to his adultery. Such an admission would ruin…
The Crucible The Crucible. What is the first thing that comes to you mind when you hear that? For me it was Judgment. The three reasons that support why Arthur Miller named his story, “The Crucible” are that crucible means to melt at high temperatures (Heat that the characters are going through), how the town begins to form after everything has been heated up (Trials, executions), and how everything cools down after its been formed. The first reason is that crucible means, “To melt at high temperatures”…
Nagle Milo Nagle Mrs. Williams 0032: period 5 18 March, 2015 The Similarities Between The Crucible and The Red Scare Accusing someone of false accusations is easy. Seeing that someone face consequences for those accusations is difficult and often unheard of. In the case of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible the false accusations made by the girls were carried out causing the victim’s lives to end with a rope around their neck and nothing more than air beneath their feet. A similar connection is found between Sen…
Andres Downey Mrs. Bradbury AP Language, Period 1 22 August 2014 The Crucible The saying goes that money is the root of all evil. But could religion also be as corruptible as money? Arthur Miller, in his play The Crucible, shows that religion can be used as a tool for a person to act in his own interest and influence the masses, as well as demonstrate what can a person who is devoutly religious through Abigail’s behavior and through the Proctor’s belief system in order to illustrate the damage religion…
Essay Topic – define crucible and how its definition is related to the change in the characters in the story A crucible is a container that can withstand very high temperatures and is used to melt or otherwise alter its contents. This is what happens to the characters through out the book. They under go very big changes in their lives, which require them to adapt or change how they are others, withstand the events and remain virtually the same. John Proctor is faced with the possibility of the…
The Crucible Essay The Crucible was a very emotional book in terms of plot. The plot was about a girl named Abigail who accuses many people of witchcraft. She also accuses Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor. Abigail uses her power of the court to get to her obsession, John Proctor, by trying to eliminate Elizabeth. She is unsuccessful in getting this done and ends up executing over twelve people including John Proctor. It is great to see all the different kinds of characterization and…
Similar qualities may be shared between a multitude of characters throughout The Crucible, but not all of these qualities are easy to spot. Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams may appear to be as opposite as night and day; however, if one were to look deeper than the surface, one would see that they do, in fact, share a handful of similarities. In order to seek these connections, it is required to look at the true, inner features of each individual character, and by doing so, one will definitely…
In the play, The Crucible a character that really cough my attention when it came to justice was John Proctor. Throughout the play he had numerous obstacles and problems with the people or Salem, and with his marriage. I think for every time Proctor sought justice he was slammed with injustice. John Proctor sought justice when he was the only one to speak out against the Salem girls, when he confessed to adultery, and when he wouldn’t let the court take his name. Towards the beginning of the play…
A person’s personality is extremely multifarious and is what influences the behavior of an individual. Strength within a personality enables a person to be assertive and outgoing, yet reasonable. Characters throughout Arthur Miller’s The Crucible show strength by standing up for what is right and by doing what is right. Elizabeth Proctor is a well-rounded person who is tries to stay true to her husband and family, in which she does by using the strength that she possesses. Elizabeth portrays strength…
The Crucible Character Analysis John Proctor is, in the beginning of the play, a guilty man in hiding, by the end of the play he has obtained a freedom that comes with his confession, and by this he hopes to disrupt Abigail Williams, and her vengeance driven schemes. From John’s first appearance in the play he is put on a respective pedestal, and he is put there because of his logical, not necessarily educated, intelligence. The author undoubtedly puts John Procter in the play with a newer…
