The crucible- absolute morality
"I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem—-vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the crazy little children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!" (Miller 73) The Crucible is a play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller in 1953 based on what happened during the Salem witch trials. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism and he used a lot of ironies to express he's overall message. Through the whole play, Miller shows that, John Proctor, Reverend Hale, Judge Danforth are three characters which could mostly represent the overall theme of absolute morality.
John Proctor, a median age farmer, husband of Elizabeth Proctor, has been guilty of adultery but is also hesitating to confess. When the hysteria begins, he hesitates to expose the secret with Abigail William because he worries his good name will be ruined. Later in the play, Elizabeth was accused by Abigail, John has brought himself to confess his adultery in the court. However, his wife Elizabeth, who "has never told a lie", now lies to protect his name. This makes Proctor feel more guilty because Elizabeth knows reputation is everything to him, she lied for him to proctor his name. " The play reaches its climax with John and Elizabeth Proctor facing the problem of whether John should save himself from execution by making a false confession or keep his name and die for that." (Bloom 26)
Proctor struggled to reveal truth early because reputation is important to him, he feels like if he reveal the secret he can no longer pretend to be the kind of a man he wanted to be. The difference between how Proctor would like to be seen, and what actually he is, is very painful to him. Porctor thinks he has been lying for the whole time, the man he wanted to be goes futher and further away from him. So when he is facing problem to make a choice, he choose to keep his name and die rather give his name to the court to escape execution.
John Proctor, a median age farmer, husband of Elizabeth Proctor, has been guilty of adultery but is also hesitating to confess. When the hysteria begins, he hesitates to expose the secret with Abigail William because he worries his good name will be ruined. Later in the play, Elizabeth was accused by Abigail, John has brought himself to confess his adultery in the court. However, his wife Elizabeth, who "has never told a lie", now lies to protect his name. This makes Proctor feel more guilty because Elizabeth knows reputation is everything to him, she lied for him to proctor his name. " The play reaches its climax with John and Elizabeth Proctor facing the problem of whether John should save himself from execution by making a false confession or keep his name and die for that." (Bloom 26)
Proctor struggled to reveal truth early because reputation is important to him, he feels like if he reveal the secret he can no longer pretend to be the kind of a man he wanted to be. The difference between how Proctor would like to be seen, and what actually he is, is very painful to him. Porctor thinks he has been lying for the whole time, the man he wanted to be goes futher and further away from him. So when he is facing problem to make a choice, he choose to keep his name and die rather give his name to the court to escape execution.