Maddie Stewart
September 24, 2014
B2
The Crucible
The characters in the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, have an enormous amount of pride. They are all known as good citizens in their community of Salem, for one reason or another, and they all would like to keep their good name. John Proctor would like to be known as the man who sticks up for the little person and always does the right thing. Reverend Parris is known for being the churchly figure that lives by the Bible and its teachings. Judge Danforth wants to be known as a steadfast judge who always makes the right decisions. When put in a difficult situation dealing with life or death, these characters choose to keep their reputations rather than do the right thing or saving their lives. The importance of dying with integrity is a very prominent theme in The Crucible.
John Proctor is the model citizen.
He has good morals and tries to do the right things. He protects the innocent and does not budge from his beliefs. He has built up respect for his name. It is hard for Proctor to give up his good name because everyone sees him as the good guy. For example, Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams. He can use this evidence in court to show that she is guilty, but he is reluctant to. He tries to find other ways to prove her guilty without losing his respect. Also, Proctor is able to get away free if he agrees to sign a paper saying he was an ally of the devil. He struggles to lie that he did work with the devil. When he is asked to sign a paper saying this, he can't. The document would be hung on the church door...