However he had a tragic flaw but him confessing leads up to his tragic death that causes the audience to feel sympathy. John Proctor’s downfall is initiated by a human flaw which was his inability to control and resist his desire. When his wife Elizabeth got sick began to catch feelings for Abigail. When John Proctor stated “but I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach out for you” (page 15, act one) he shows how at one point he was having an affair behind his wife back and this lead up to all the madness in the town of Salem. When Abigail was talking to Proctor she says “She is telling lies to about me!
Author Millers, The Crucible, is a play about the fear, of witchcraft in the sixteenth century, and what fear does to people in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. During the colonial time period, witchcraft was punishable by death. In Salem the idea of witchcraft not only feared the people, but also the community as a whole. The community of Salem was split into two demographics by poor farmers, and wealthy merchants, becomes a scared fearful town during the accusations, not knowing if your neighbor was or was not a witch. The church of Salem plays an important role in the outcome of the town; the church has immense power and control of the town.
Abigail new the punishment for the crime of witchcraft was hanging and carried out her accusation so that she and Jon could “dance upon her grave together.”(Act 3) John Proctor is also charged with witch craft; he had a choice of lying about consorting with the devil or keeping his integrity. John Proctor died a positive role model for the community and his children, and went to death with his soul and integrity. Similarity, In “Macbeth” individuals are killed for greed of power. Macbeth makes foolish decisions that lead him to paranoia, grief and his downfall. “Where our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors.” (Act IV, Scene 2) Macbeth’s downfall is attributed to a sense of over-confidence and ambition Macbeth’s destruction.
I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (Act I) In this quote it explains how Abigail tried saving herself from being known as a “bad” person. Abigail also wants her name good in the village because a rumor was spread of her having an affair with John Proctor which is true. She then wants John Proctors wife dead so she could have him for herself. It then blows up in her face that she did not get what she wanted simply because Proctor did not want her.
The Puritans in The Scarlet Letter ironically condemn Hester by hypocritically reacting to her sin and by foolishly praising the preacher who actually committed adultery with her. Once the puritans realize Hester was pregnant, they began to condemn her and give her harsh consequences. All together they banished her from the town and tried to take her daughter away from her. These consequences were given hypocritically since the majority of the town participated in witchcraft. The town, in order to justify it's sin, acted like they actually held standards by harshly attacking Hester's sin.
In the book, The Crucible, a young group of girls are accusing people around the town as being bonded with the devil. We know that the girls are lying, but the other residents of the town do not. The town is so blinded by mass hysteria that they cannot see that the girls are liars. Then there are others that are using the girls to their own agenda. Throughout the story we see John’s character, and the way other people see him.
A crucible is a severe test as of patients or belief, a trial. The play The Crucible is a journey through the trials of many townspeople caused by the superstitious belief of witchcraft. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller progresses and evolves the outlooks and views of the townspeople of Salem and shows how events, people, and catastrophes cause the characters to change their views on whether the people prosecuted were guilty or innocent of witchcraft. Reverend John Hale changes his view, more and more drastically as the play advances, as a result of the events that he underwent and the experiences he had. Soon he had total belief in the innocence of all those convicted and hung in Salem.
Differing world views and reactions to situations are evident in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, set in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s. The play’s protagonist, John Proctor, sees the underlying sins of his Puritanic community, including his own, amidst a righteous veneer. Regretting his recent affair with young Abigail Williams, Proctor sees little goodness in both himself and the world in general. Abigail Williams, Proctor’s mistress, on the other hand, has a completely different view of the world – seeing it as a playground to gain power and get what she wants, John Proctor. When Abigail creates hysteria over witchcraft that sweeps over Salem, she views the situation as a chance to lie and manipulate to achieve her goals, while John Proctor sees through Abigail’s deceit and views the situation as a childish stunt that could get many innocent townspeople hurt.
When john takes Mary to the court so she can testify against the girls they think it’s a bit suspicious. When the girls are brought into the court they accuse Mary of bewitching them. John gets fed up and he confesses to his affair with Abigail to prove that she is not a goodly person and that she is jealous of his wife. Elizabeth is brought to the court to prove of what john is saying is true but because of her kindness and her love for her husband she lies to protect his name. Abigail and the girls pretend Mary is bewitching them again which make Mary breakdown and accuse john of being a witch.
These times also had many differences. People in the Salem Witch Trials were in the 1600's-a very naive time- while people during the time of McCarthyism lived in the 1950's. Citizens of America in the 1600's were scared of one thing, the devil. The churches wanted to rid their town of anyone who associated with him by being hanged. In the 1950's, however, people were terrified of the red Communists coming to take over their beloved country.