John Proctor Character Analysis

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Giving up one’s life for something one strongly believe in seems like something only extraordinary people would do. But, in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, two ordinary citizens prove that if one really believes in something, giving up their life is more than worth it. Both John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse prove that it is nobler to die with integrity than it is to compromise one’s principles in order to live by giving up their lives instead of lying and admitting to witchcraft. Rebecca Nurse is one character who believed that giving up one’s life for something they believe is worth it, if it means dying with integrity. From the beginning of the play, Rebecca did not want to believe the cause of Betty and Ruth’s sickness was witchcraft. When…show more content…
Similarly to Rebecca, John Proctor believed that witchcraft was nonsense. When Putnam exclaimed that children were dying left and right from witchcraft, frustrated, Proctor said, “I see none dying’. This society will not be a bag to swing around your head, Mr. Putnam” (Miller 1186). Proctor thought that Putnam and the other men were over exaggerating the entire situation with Abigail and the other girls. He was also frustrated that the men would turn firstly to witchcraft. By resorting to witchcraft, Proctor thought that the men were treating their town as if it were a joke or a game. The trials continued to go on and Proctor was asked to confess to witchcraft. Danforth asked him, “Did you see the devil?” (Miller 1253). Proctor insisted, “I did” (1253). At first, Proctor decided that he would rather lie and stay with his wife Elizabeth than give up his own life. But, Proctor ended up sticking to his morals and denied all witchcraft. Knowing that her husband would be hanged, Elizabeth Proctor began to cry. Proctor said, “Give them no tear! Tears pleasure them! Show honor now, show a stony heart and sink them with it!” (Miller 1256). Proctor told his wife not to cry and to express honor for his actions. He wanted his wife to know that he did the right thing and he was now going to die with integrity. John gets taken

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