Arthur Miller's The Crucible: John Proctor's Secret
John Proctor’s Secret
Often in literature, a character's success in achieving goals depends on keeping a secret and divulging it only at the right moment, if at all. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the main character, John Proctor is sucked into the witchcraft trials, unable to save the town from their own hysteria, and save his reputation. As John Proctor deals with the witchcraft trials, and becomes more personally involved, he develops into a character that better understands the world and himself. John proctor achieved his goal by keeping an important secret that led to the freedom of his wife Elizabeth Proctor, saved his reputation, and led to his death.
It all starts with the dark past and hidden secret that Abigail and John Proctor have kept to each other. John Proctor has had an affair with Abigail, but it ends shortly after his wife, Elizabeth, throws her out of his house. John ignored the witch trials until his wife Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft. During the trial, John spilled out the secret when he tried to convince how much of a bad person Abigail was to save Elizabeth. However, in Abigail's vengeance, she turns to witchery in an attempt to force Proctor back in her heart and get rid of Elizabeth. That is why Betty cries, "You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor" (Miller 18)!
In the court room, John Proctor stands alone before the judges ready to reveal his dark secret. By now, Proctor has no other option than to confess his sins. He has trouble making this decision for fear of what will happen to his reputation. If the town knows of his affair, he will be seen as John Proctor the Lecher. But to save his wife's life, Proctor knows that he must follow through with his decision, but will cost his reputation. Out of anger at himself and anger at the court, he cries with all his effort, "She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of
Often in literature, a character's success in achieving goals depends on keeping a secret and divulging it only at the right moment, if at all. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the main character, John Proctor is sucked into the witchcraft trials, unable to save the town from their own hysteria, and save his reputation. As John Proctor deals with the witchcraft trials, and becomes more personally involved, he develops into a character that better understands the world and himself. John proctor achieved his goal by keeping an important secret that led to the freedom of his wife Elizabeth Proctor, saved his reputation, and led to his death.
It all starts with the dark past and hidden secret that Abigail and John Proctor have kept to each other. John Proctor has had an affair with Abigail, but it ends shortly after his wife, Elizabeth, throws her out of his house. John ignored the witch trials until his wife Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft. During the trial, John spilled out the secret when he tried to convince how much of a bad person Abigail was to save Elizabeth. However, in Abigail's vengeance, she turns to witchery in an attempt to force Proctor back in her heart and get rid of Elizabeth. That is why Betty cries, "You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor" (Miller 18)!
In the court room, John Proctor stands alone before the judges ready to reveal his dark secret. By now, Proctor has no other option than to confess his sins. He has trouble making this decision for fear of what will happen to his reputation. If the town knows of his affair, he will be seen as John Proctor the Lecher. But to save his wife's life, Proctor knows that he must follow through with his decision, but will cost his reputation. Out of anger at himself and anger at the court, he cries with all his effort, "She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of