the crucible john proctor character analysis essay

• The Crucible

Arthur Miller

• Literature Notes
• John Proctor
• Play Summary
• About The Crucible
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act IV: Scene 4
• Character Analysis
• Abigail Williams
• Reverend Hale
• Character Map
• Arthur Miller Biography
• Critical Essays
• Arthur Miller's Narrative Technique in The Crucible
• Historical Period: Puritans in Salem
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Character Analysis John Proctor

John Proctor is a tormented individual. He believes his affair with Abigail irreparably damaged him in the eyes of God, his wife Elizabeth, and himself. True, Proctor did succumb to sin and commit adultery; however, he lacks the capacity to forgive himself. Unsurprisingly, his relationship with Elizabeth remains strained throughout the majority of the play. He resents Elizabeth because she cannot forgive him and trust him again, but he is guilty of the same thing. In fact, his own inability to forgive himself merely intensifies his reaction to Elizabeth's lack of forgiveness.

In addition to struggling with the weight of his sin, the fact that he must reveal his transgression torments Proctor. His best possession is his good name and the respect and integrity associated with it. Once he acknowledges his affair with Abigail, Proctor effectively brands himself an adulterer and loses his good name. He dreads revealing his sin because guilt and regret already overwhelm him. Proctor believes a public display of his wrongdoing only intensifies the extent of his sin, thereby multiplying his guilt.

Proctor's decision to tell the court about his affair ironically demonstrates his goodness. He willingly sacrifices his good name in order to protect his wife. Only through his public acknowledgment of the affair does Proctor regain his wife's trust. At the end of the play, Proctor refuses to slander himself by allowing the court to nail his false confession to the church door. This action further exemplifies Proctor's integrity. Proctor knows that he will damn himself, yet again, if he agrees to confess. Although he wants to live, escaping death is not worth basing the remainder of his life on a lie. This realization, along with Elizabeth's forgiveness, enables Proctor to forgive himself and finally regain his good name and self-respect. As the court officials lead him to the gallows, he finds peace for the first time in the play.

Previous Abigail Williams

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'The Crucible' Character Study: John Proctor

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Arthur Miller drew inspiration from Greek tragedies in his plays. Like many of the storylines from Ancient Greece, " The Crucible " charts the downfall of a tragic hero: John Proctor.

Proctor is the main male character of this modern classic and his story is key throughout the play's four acts. Actors portraying Proctor and students studying Miller's tragic play will find it useful to learn a bit more about this character.

Who Is John Proctor?

John Proctor is one of the key characters in " The Crucible " and can be considered the leading male role of the play. Because of his importance, we know more about him than almost anyone else in this tragedy.

• 30-year-old farmer.
• Married to a pious woman: Elizabeth Proctor .
• Father of three boys.
• Christian, yet dissatisfied with the way Rev. Parris runs the church.
• Doubts the existence of witchcraft.
• Despises injustice, yet feels guilty because of his extra-marital affair with 17-year-old Abigail Williams .

Proctor's Kindness and Anger

John Proctor is a kind man in many ways. In Act One, the audience first sees him entering the Parris household to check on the health of the reverend's ill daughter. He is good natured with fellow villagers such as Giles Corey, Rebecca Nurse, and others. Even with adversaries, he is slow to anger.

But when provoked, he does get angry. One of his flaws is his temper. When friendly discussion does not work, Proctor will resort to shouting and even physical violence.

There are occasions throughout the play when he threatens to whip his wife, his servant-girl, and his ex-mistress. Still, he remains a sympathetic character because his anger is generated by the unjust society which he inhabits. The more the town becomes collectively paranoid, the more he rages.

Proctor's Pride and Self-Esteem

Proctor's character contains a caustic blend of pride and self-loathing, a very puritanical combination indeed. On the one hand, he takes pride in his farm and his community. He is an independent spirit who has cultivated the wilderness and transformed it into farmland. Furthermore, his sense of religion and communal spirit has led to many public contributions. In fact, he helped construct the town's church.

His self-esteem sets him apart from other members of the town, such as the Putnams, who feel one must obey authority at all costs. Instead, John Proctor speaks his mind when he recognizes injustice. Throughout the play, he openly disagrees with the actions of Reverend Parris, a choice that ultimately leads to his execution.

Proctor the Sinner

Despite his prideful ways, John Proctor describes himself as a "sinner." He has cheated on his wife, and he is loath to admit the crime to anyone else. There are moments when his anger and disgust towards himself burst forth, such as in the climactic moment when he exclaims to Judge Danforth : "I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours."

Proctor's flaws make him human. If he didn't have them, he wouldn't be a tragic hero. If the protagonist were a flawless hero, there would be no tragedy, even if the hero died at the end. A tragic hero, like John Proctor, is created when the protagonist uncovers the source of his downfall. When Proctor accomplishes this, he has the strength to stand up to the morally bankrupt society and dies in defense of truth.

Essays about John Proctor might do well to explore the character arc that occurs throughout the play. How and why does John Proctor change?

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The Crucible

Arthur miller, everything you need for every book you read., john proctor, reverend parris, reverend hale, elizabeth proctor, abigail williams.

Thomas Putnam

Giles corey, francis nurse, deputy governor danforth.

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The Crucible: John Proctor Character Analysis

• The Crucible: John Proctor Character…

A character is an elaborate blend of emotions and characteristics. Even though the character’s emotions are significant because they make an individual feel for the character may it be sympathy or anger.

The characteristics are very also important because they make the character. They describe the character’s nature even if they are good-hearted or if they are evil incarnate.

Many times there is one word that can single-handedly describe the character’s reaction or behavior toward some other anomaly. In John Proctor’s case, the word that illustrates him in his entirety is ethical.

Bravery is a trait that suits John Proctor well. When Proctor tried to convince everyone that the girls were lying, was an instance of bravery because children were thought of as the voice of God and they were pure of blemishes.

Proctor also fought the court trying to keep them from convicting his spouse even though nobody else would dare to do. Another quality that made him brave was when he confessed to the court that he had an affair with Abigail just to save his life.

That John Proctor is brave, is obvious but ha can also be very extreme at some times. An instance of Proctor’s extremity was when he shouted, ‘I say – I say – God is dead!'(Pg. 119), and that he will see all of them burn in hell. That statement implied to the court that Proctor worshipped the Devil and committed perjury.

When Proctor tore the warrant issued for the arrest of Elizabeth showed his ability to defy the court and in a way his religion because the court was controlled by religion. Keeping Mary Warren from the court was extreme because he was keeping her from doing her duty and from feeling important for the first time.

Even if one is brave or extreme, doesn’t mean that they cannot be dignified too. Proctor acted dignified when he tries to please his wife in every way after he admitted to having an affair with Abigail. He did this by doing what she said and not complaining and acting nice and calm. He also exhibits dignity when he signs the confession and then later tears it up.

This showed that he cared more about his belief than he did about his life. By not buckling under pressure, Proctor was able to refuse to give into Danforth’s and Abigail’s power of persuasion, which showed a great deal of dignity.

It is certain then that Proctor is an individual of many characteristics but only one stands out, that is that he is ethical. Due to being ethical, he is also brave, extreme, and dignified. These characteristics tend to make a good character

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John Proctor's Character Development in The Crucible Essay Sample

John Proctor is Arthur Miller’s major character in “The Crucible.” We learned about Proctor throughout the play, but we did not see him change considerably. We initially see John Proctor in the play when he heads over to see Abigail Williams whom he had an affair with. Proctor is an unconventional thinker; he does not believe the nonsense that society tells its people. He does not believe in witchcraft which makes him an intriguing character during the play. John’s wife Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams, when she tries to get revenge on him for the promises he broke. 

As the reader can clearly see while reading the play John Proctor is a profoundly unconventional thinker. It is coherent that Proctor does not believe in witchcraft and likes to develop his own opinions about the stories he is told. As Proctor states, “If the girl’s a saint now, in my view it is not easy to prove she’s fraud and the town gone so silly” (Act II). When Proctor was having a conversation with Elizabeth he denounced the town for losing their minds because they believe that the girls are being controlled. He also states in the quote that the girls are regarded like saints because they have taken charge of the trials. Proctor is personally involved in the accusations because his wife Elizabeth is accused as a witch. This can be considered as a sign of revenge reason being John and Abigail Williams had an affair which Proctor eventually broke off. As Abigail tries to sympathize with Proctor she states, “Give me a word, John. A soft word”, as to which John responds with, “No, no, Abby. That’s done with” (Act I). It is intelligible what Proctor no longer wants to have a relationship with Abigail. Throughout the play John Proctor tries to convince the town that the girl’s revelations are completely erroneous. 

The struggle for John Proctor in “The Crucible” is when he has to fight against what he has been accused of. As readers, we learn that Proctor is one of the few sensible people in the town of Salem. As Proctor states, “I speak my own sins: I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it” (Act III). In the quote John affirms that the only person you can truly judge is yourself. We perceive this throughout the play when the people of Salem try to judge the girls. As Proctor states earlier on in the play, “We vote by name in this society, not by acreage” (Act I). This statement is profoundly accurate to how people are judged in the town. Salem does not like to look at the facts of a case; it would preferably judge someone from their past. This is why the girls did not get in trouble after all of their accusations. 

At the end of the play we find out that John Proctor is one of the townspeople who was executed. When Proctor talks about not confessing he states, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name” (Act III). We can depict from this statement John Proctor would more presently give his life away than to have his reputation ruined. This in addition provides us an insight into how Salem was run, the reputation of your name mattered since that is what everyone was judged on. Elizabeth makes a statement about her husband's good name when she states, “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” (Act III). Since Proctor did not confess to the crimes he is accused of, he cannot have the reputation of his name taken away. If he was to confess his name would be printed out and placed on the exterior of the church. Even if he was to live after this it would be no favorable life since everyone would have their backs turn against him. His wife Elizabeth, has her life spared since she is pregnant which is what John truly cares about. When her date of execution comes around the Salem witch trials were abolished, so she is capable of living the rest of her life in peace. 

Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and John Proctor’s story presents us an insight into how humans do not consistently exercise their common sense. As a reader you have learned that you should obtain your own opinions about what you hear since not everyone is always right. The Salem witch trials had an effect on the people in Salem because it informed them that a good lie is more convincing than the truth. For John Proctor no matter how much he tried he would either lose his name or his life. For some people losing your reputation counts more than your life.

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John Proctor's Evolution: A "Crucible" Character Analysis

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The Crucible: John Proctor (Character Analysis Essay)

A villain is an antagonist who’s motives lead them to do evil, sometimes unknowingly. In The Crucible, John Proctor is the villain, and it is seen throughout the play. In fear of ruining his reputation, he didn’t sign a written confession saying he was an adulterer and a witch to protect himself and lots of other people. However, because of this he made himself the villain, and didn’t live up to the character everyone perceived him as. 

John Proctor became the villain of The Crucible, but a lot of it was unknowingly. When he had an affair with Abigail Williams, a 17 year old girl, he told his wife Elizabeth about it, but thought it would be better not to address it again. However, John Proctor was setting his wife up for danger without even knowing. Abigail fell in love with Proctor and wanted him all to herself. So this led Abigail to framing and accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. Abigail was trying to get rid of Elizabeth in any way, and this was the quickest way to do that. Even though Proctor didn’t know his wife would be put in danger, he still committed a sin that was proved he was unfaithful to his wife.That shows that he is not the good man everyone thinks he is. So because of John Proctor having an affair with Abigail, he put his own wife in danger unknowingly. 

Another reason why John Proctor is the villain is because he could’ve stopped the witch trials sooner and stopped Abigail from acting like she does. If Proctor had confessed to adultery earlier, then he could’ve saved so many innocent lives that were taken because of Abigail. Instead, he made Mary Warren, a work girl, go against all of the girls and what they were saying. He made the case worse, and made it go longer than it really should’ve been. Since he was so afraid of ruining his reputation he didn’t want to confess anything, which made Abigail go further with her manipulation. John Proctor could have solved a lot but instead made one of his work girls go against her own friends to get rid of somebody he didn’t like. If he confessed sooner, the case would strayed stray away from the witch aspect of it, and direct the attention towards Abigail and Proctor. So now innocent people wouldn’t be questioned for something they didn’t do. Everyone sees John Proctor as a good man, but a good man wouldn’t let innocent lives be taken away, knowing it could’ve been stopped. 

All in all, John Proctor is the villain in The Crucible, and didn’t live up to the character everyone perceived him as. Proctor put his wife in danger by having an affair with Abigail. Even though he didn’t know that his wife would be in danger, he still proved to be unfaithful to her, when everyone saw him as a good man. He also knew that he could have stopped the witch trials sooner, and saved so many innocent lives. But since he was withholding the truth from everyone, Abigail started acting worse than she already does, and many people were hanged. He did all of this in fear of ruining his good reputation. He thought he was protecting everyone, but in reality he did the exact opposite. A villain can be led by evil motives, and sometimes it can be unknowingly, and John Proctor is a prime example of it. 

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Crucible — “The Crucible” by John Proctor: Reputation Analysis

"The Crucible" by John Proctor: Reputation Analysis

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Table of contents

To reputation, early portrayal of john proctor, impact of reputation on proctor's actions, evolution of proctor's reputation.

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