FREE ESSAY ON CRUICIBLE

CRUICIBLE

In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is introduced as a main character
early in the plot. He comes out as a rebellious man in a sense, and right away we learn
of his affair with Abigail. By the end of the play Proctor is changing his ground and
becoming a more responsible individual and not lowering himself to Abigail's standards
once again.
In the beginning of the book when his affair is revealed, he could strike the reader as a
weak and failing individual. One would think this because of the vow that he made to his
spouse that she is the "only" or the "chosen" one. Proctor has not lived this statement
truthfully and that proves that he is, in a sense, a failing individual. Though he may be
weak, he is also a rational man. He is one of the few characters in the book who does not
believe in witches. He knows that all the accusations of witchcraft are false. This shows
that he is strong because everybody else in the town is going crazy because if these
"witches". John once says, "God will not let you wash your hands of this" (Act Two;
pg73), referring to if they were to accuse, and jail the convicted "witches." He keeps
calm and goes against public opinion, which is a brave thing to do. 
By the end of the play John Proctor has recovered the moral integrity that he had lost
earlier in the book. He ends up confronting Abigail and as a result of that renews his
relationship with Elizabeth. It takes a lot for him to confess to his wife that he had
had an affair but Proctor, being a strong individual, realizes his mistake and confesses.
Then, in the court scene he further instills his integrity by not naming any names. He
stands up for what he believes in, which is that there are no witches, and doesn't even
fall back on his beliefs after being threatened to be put it prison. He is willing to be
locked away to stand up for what he believes. 
In the end John Proctor comes out as being a powerful individual, unlike his initial weak
prospective. He is faced with a challenge; he vaselates then rises to the occasion. This
is a prime example of character development on Proctors behalf.