The Crucible< john Proctor

Essay by gooter1081High School, 10th gradeA+, January 2004

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The Crucible by Arthur Miller takes place in Salem, during the witch trials. The witch trials are started by a group of girls who were caught doing something against their religion. Instead of taking their punishments they state that someone in the town has bewitched them. At first only a couple of people were accused of being a witch. At the end of the play most of the town is accused of witchery.

Abigail is the first girl to cry witch on someone. She leads the group of girls against the "witches". She is in love with a married man named John Proctor. She'll do everything through out the play to get him to love her. John Proctor had an affair with Abigail, but he is so ashamed of himself that he doesn't even go to church anymore. John Proctor is a very complex character. John changes dramatically through out the play.

In the beginning of the story John is irresponsible and living the life of a hypocrite. At the end of the play he cares enough for his family to save their dignity by being hung for being a witch which he was not. John valued his family name so much that he was willing to give up his life.

Early in the play, John did not live the life according to his religion. In this quote, Miller talks about Proctor," He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his own vision of decent conduct" (838). John is not only a sinner in God's eyes or in the towns people's, but in his own. John can hardly live with himself, because of what he has done.

At the end of the play Proctor is accused for being a witch.