Examples Of Tiptoe In The Crucible

John Proctor, an unfaithful yet regretful husband in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, highlights that human nature often consists of committing a moral crime and forever trying to right his wrongs. Seven months ago, John Proctor, a married man, mindlessly had an affair with his servant, Abigail Williams. Since then, Abigail is forced from the Proctors’ house after the actions were discovered by John’s wife, Elizabeth. John now searches for solution after solution to fix his mistake and prove to his wife that he is still loyal to her. To him, they are failing hopelessly. John then becomes frustrated with his attempts roaring “‘I have gone tiptoe in this house all seventh month…I have not moved from here to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your …show more content…
I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies…”’ (60) By using the figurative device, onomatopoeia, Miller is drawing attention to the word “tiptoe.” In doing so, he also draws the audience’s attention to John who is constantly monitoring his actions or tip toeing as a way to show that he is sorry to Elizabeth. In addition, John flatly states that for seven months, everything that he has done was solely to “please” his wife. This gives a very strong message to the audience, declaring that he has done all that he could possibly do to display his ruefulness, yet nothing ever has come of it. Miller then employs a metaphor, “an everlasting funeral marches round your heart,” presenting John’s belief that all of his actions of regret were entirely fruitless and pointless. Elizabeth then rebuts, asserting that she has forgiven him long ago, though it is his own heart that is really judging him. This essentially proves to the reader that John is so remorseful for affair with Abigail that he is morally judging himself for his moral sins. Months after the love affair, Abigail confronts John claiming that she has fallen in