John Proctor's Motivation In The Crucible
Puritan society is a strict and brutal society that says one is predestined to be damned to hell or not, no arguments. This is portrayed in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, which is a play reenacting the events of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. In the play there are many dynamic characters to be analyzed, one such being John Proctor. Since John Proctor is motivated by his love for his wife Elizabeth, his decision to tell the truth creates tension by the end of the play.
John Proctor's behavioral motivation is based around his wife and the goodness of his name in Salem. The name part of that really shows when John says, “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?” (p. 211). John’s love for his wife is also apparent when he throws away his name in court in a last ditch attempt to save …show more content…
A pivotal choice of John’s is his revelation to the court in which he states, “I have known her, sir. I have known her.” (p. 193). Revealing his adultering is one of the most grueling things John can do to himself, but he does it to try to save his wife and prove that the girls are doing nothing but pretending to be afflicted by witches. He also tears up his last chance at freedom out of pride of his name; this condemns him to death.
By the end of the play John Proctor has become a sad and broken man. He has lost everything dear to him besides his name and expresses this when he says, “I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (p. 211). John realizes just how faulty their legal system is when blinded by faith and certain of their outcome, and even in the end tried to prove it by saying prayer with his fellow ‘witches’ witch for all intents and purposes should prove them innocent. But, broken yet defiant, John is pushed off the edge to
John Proctor's behavioral motivation is based around his wife and the goodness of his name in Salem. The name part of that really shows when John says, “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?” (p. 211). John’s love for his wife is also apparent when he throws away his name in court in a last ditch attempt to save …show more content…
A pivotal choice of John’s is his revelation to the court in which he states, “I have known her, sir. I have known her.” (p. 193). Revealing his adultering is one of the most grueling things John can do to himself, but he does it to try to save his wife and prove that the girls are doing nothing but pretending to be afflicted by witches. He also tears up his last chance at freedom out of pride of his name; this condemns him to death.
By the end of the play John Proctor has become a sad and broken man. He has lost everything dear to him besides his name and expresses this when he says, “I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (p. 211). John realizes just how faulty their legal system is when blinded by faith and certain of their outcome, and even in the end tried to prove it by saying prayer with his fellow ‘witches’ witch for all intents and purposes should prove them innocent. But, broken yet defiant, John is pushed off the edge to