Essay Example on The Crucible by Arthur Miller Book Review

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Literature

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Education

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The Crucible by Arthur Miller. A small Puritan town deals with the troubles of lies, integrity, witchcraft, and infidelity. After a regrettable affair committed between Abigail Williams and John Proctor Abigail spreads lies of witchcraft in the town for a mixture of vengeance and deflection. Many innocent people are forced to confess to witchcraft and those who don't are sent to be hung. Proctor must put his integrity first and confess to his adultery to save the lives of others. Although some may say that John Proctor is being a bad father by leaving behind his family he is showing his sons how to be honorable men. John Proctor is justified in dying because he would rather die than live with his inner conflict blacken his name and have his children think he is a liar and dishonorable. John Proctor's decision to die was the only resolution to his inner conflict with himself. The adultery John commits with Abigail causes him to not forgive himself. As Proctor argues with Elizabeth his wife, he professes. Because it speaks deceit and I am honest. But I'll plead no more, I see now your spirit twists around the single error of my life and I will never tear in free 62. Proctor explains how he can never tear the guilt away from him. He clearly regrets his affair and with the knowledge that he will never be able to forgive himself, his commitment to death was his only resolution. As John confesses his adultery to Danforth in Act 3 to save Elizabeth readers detect more of his guilt. "God help me I lusted and there is a promise in such sweat but it is a whore vengeance and you must see it. I set myself entirely in your hands I know you must see it now 110.

The reasons for the trails is due to Abigail's revenge on John for ending the affair, yet John's inner conflict is due to him starting the affair. Proctor asks God for his forgiveness but he himself will never be able to forgive himself. After Mary Warren's downfall and return to lies with Abigail. Proctor proclaims "A fire fire is burning I hear the boot of Lucifer. I see his filthy face. And it is my face and your Danforth. For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance as I have quailed and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be a fraud. God damns our kind especially and we will burn together" 120. This quote strongly supports Proctor's guilt. Proctor punishes himself for the sin he commits by confessing he sees Lucifer and at the same time showing Danforth that the devil lives in everyone. The strong inner conflict that resides in Proctor would have never set him free and allowed him to live a fulfilling life regardless of the witch trials. Throughout the novel we read and discover that John Proctor's love and care for his family and friends motivate him to his final act, John Proctor is a husband to Elizabeth and a father to his children. John makes it clear I have three children, how may I teach them to walk like men in the world and I sold my friends 143. He doesn't want his negative reputation to reflect on his children or wife. Danforth gives Proctor the option of living and saving the innocent people but purposefully committing sin with his false confession or dying an honorable man with his friends.

Proctor willingly chooses death as the confession would discredit his friends who are in prison for standing up for the truth. The false confession would bring shame to Proctor and all that he lives for. A man may think God sleeps but God sees everything I know it now 110. Proctor is aware of the sin he would be committing and comes to the conclusion that he couldn't live with that guilt. Proctor like any other puritan man takes sin seriously and as he has already committed one with adultery he would not be able to live with another. The shame that would come with choosing to live would be too great to represent to his family. John clarifies he would rather have his family lack his presence than have the dishonorable man he would be if he chose life. A major influence in Proctor's decision to die was his belief that there was no reason to live with a blackened name. When Danforth comes to the realization that Abigail was indeed a liar Proctor is given the option to confess to witchcraft and save himself his family and friends. Hale and the judges attempt to convince Proctor to make the right decision but fail Proctor's final decision is due to his reluctance to.

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