John Proctor - the Crucible

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John Proctor is one of the main protagonists in The Crucible. He is a farmer and landowner in his mid-forties living in Salem, with his wife Elizabeth Proctor and three children. John Proctor is a family man. He holds honor and pride very highly. He feels shamed for having broken his code of honor with Abigail, saying “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time, but I will cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again.” This shows that he doesn’t want to go through what he did with Abigail ever again. At the end of Act IV, he rips up his confession because he doesn’t want his name being used to sway others. He 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? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” He says that he’s already lost everything, and the only thing he wants to keep is his own dignity. He also values his family and wants them to be happy. In Act II he compliments Elizabeth’s cooking and says “I mean to please you, Elizabeth.” Later, when Elizabeth is being taken away, John Proctor tells her “I will bring you home. I will bring you soon… I will fall like an ocean on that court! Fear nothing Elizabeth.” John is saying that he will stop at nothing to free his Elizabeth from the court that wrongfully imprisoned her, showing his devotion. John also detests vanity and greed. He completely stopped going to church because Parris would “…preach nothin’ but golden candlesticks until he had them.” he said “…it hurt my prayer, sir…” to “…see my money glaring at his elbows.” John Proctor’s motivation in the play was to save his wife from being accused as a witch in court. At the end of Act II, his wife is taken by Danforth because she was accused by Abigail of practicing voodoo, and attempted
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