John Proctor's Reputation In The Crucible

The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, is based upon the Salem witch trials that took place 1692. The society of Salem are of strict Puritan faith and their court is based on theocracy. Characters are convicted of witchcraft, built off the beliefs of the girls in the town who are trying to cover up that they danced. Choosing to live and ruin their reputations, or choosing to hang with dignity is a problem many face. Throughout the play John Proctor, Judge Danforth, and Reverend Parris are concerned with their reputations and will stop at nothing to try and protect themselves.
The protagonist, John Proctor is concerned for his reputation, but more so for his family and friends’ well-being. He withholds information from the court that he commits
the crime of “lechery” with Abigail Williams, knowing it would ruin him when word spread. In Act II, Proctor realizes what he had to sacrifice his name to try and save the lives of the accused and said, “trembling, his life collapsing about him: I have known her, sir” (102). Proctor avoids telling the real reason why Abigail starts the rumor of witchcraft and why his wife is accused, but cannot keep it in any longer knowing that other lives rest in his hands. When “his life [is] collapsing about him” (102) shows that telling the truth very hard for him to admit, knowing there would be repercussions. Admittance is hard at first for him because he had to choose his reputation over confessing adultery. John Proctor had enough of Danforth’s persistence to sign the paper, saying that he confesses and shouts, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my whole life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! ... I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (133). Danforth’s chances for Proctor to make sure he wants to sign his name symbolizes God is giving him many opportunities to make the right choice and take the punishment of death instead of lying about committing witchcraft. Proctor does not want his signed name to be up in a public place where people would see he is a coward and knowing he sold his own friends out. He has given up his entire being to confess, but does not want to give up his name because it is the only one he has, will ever have and for his family to remember him by.
Reverend Parris of Salem’s top priorities are his reputation and lying to protect himself, and family is not one of them.
He wants Abigail to tell the truth about the girls dancing in the woods and know if there is anything that could affect his reputation and demands that she “tell [him the] truth… and [he prays she] feel the weight of truth upon [herself], for now [his] ministry’s at stake, [his] ministry and perhaps [her] cousin’s life. Whatever abomination [she has] done, give [him] all of it” (11). Parris wants to know what they did, so he could find a way to cover it up by lying. Parris did not want his ministry and reputation to be ruined by his family and have the town hate him more than it already does. After the trials, Reverend Parris is becoming extremely disliked by the townspeople. The people have made threats to kill him and he has become scared for his life and warns Danforth about the “Tonight, when I open my door to leave the house – a dagger clattered to the ground…Danforth absorbs this. Now Parris cries out: You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me. I dare not step outside at night!” (119). He knows that the citizens of Salem will be infuriated with him even more and the court if they hang the good people of the town. He is more worried about the court and his reputation than the people sentenced to hang. Parris no longer wants have Proctor killed because then the people of the town will come after him because of all the trouble his niece causes
and he lied about it.
Danforth, a self-absorbed man, will not follow protocol and tell the truth in order to protect his reputation.
When Proctor hands Danforth a list of all the people who say the women are innocent, Reverend Parris chimes in “All innocent and Christian people are happy for the courts in Salem! These people are gloomy for it. To Danforth directly: And I think you will want to know, from each and every one of them, what discontents them with you!”(94). Parris turns Hale’s attempt to tell the truth, on Danforth saying people are starting to lose faith in the court of Salem. Danforth questions and sends the people on the petition that says the women are innocent to jail. He does not want people saying the court is unfair because it means his presiding is prejudiced. Both he and Reverend Parris care about how they are perceived by the community of Salem. Danforth wants people to still know he is in power and he will protect them from what they believe is witchcraft. Reverend Hale questions Danforth’s decision on condemning innocent people, Danforth thinks there is a possibility he could be wrong and replies “You misunderstand…I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.” (119). Hale says these people should not be committed Danforth makes up the excuse that it would not be fair to those already condemned for the same crime. If Danforth is wrong and unjust in sentencing those people to hang, then he would gain a bad reputation as a judge of
the court of Salem. Danforth wants to protect himself, so he keeps condemning people even though he knows there is a possibility he could be wrong.