The Crucible, a 1953 play by Arthur Miller, is a dramatized and partially fictionalized play that mirrors the tragedy of the Salem witch trials. Arthur Miller creates many situations where the reader is drawn to John Proctor, the story’s protagonist. The reader can relate to John Proctor through their own characteristics, not always through Proctor’s present characteristics. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the viewer feels pity and sympathy for John Proctor because he is human in his mistakes, and sacrifices his reputation to gain what he ideally strives to maintain, which is his integrity and his morals. Readers pity John Proctor because Arthur Miller bases The Crucible off a real life situation and presents human qualities and mistakes
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In The Crucible, some characters have to choose between favoring their morals or reputation, John Proctor is one of these unlucky characters. Proctor sacrificed his own reputation in order to follow his moral compass, which is the possession of integrity. Elizabeth was sentenced to death and in order to save her, he is forced to follow his moral compass and confess. Proctor lets go of his reputation with the words, “I have known her, sir. I have known her” and Danforth, stunned, replies with, “You—you are a lecher” (102). In order to stay true to his morals, Proctors integrity demanded he confesses to his adultery in order to save Elizabeth’s life or else Proctor would have let her die in order to save his own reputation. Miller clearly shows how morals are more important than almost everything and readers relate to John through this because they too have high standards for their morals. Human beings also value morals just as much as Proctor does. Only some people would lie just to live, and only some people would tell the truth in order to save their loved ones, but Proctor mirrors the person that most humans want to be, honoring integrity so much they are able to admit your sins and die to save a loved one. Proctor again proves his integrity, “How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul”
In The Crucible, some characters have to choose between favoring their morals or reputation, John Proctor is one of these unlucky characters. Proctor sacrificed his own reputation in order to follow his moral compass, which is the possession of integrity. Elizabeth was sentenced to death and in order to save her, he is forced to follow his moral compass and confess. Proctor lets go of his reputation with the words, “I have known her, sir. I have known her” and Danforth, stunned, replies with, “You—you are a lecher” (102). In order to stay true to his morals, Proctors integrity demanded he confesses to his adultery in order to save Elizabeth’s life or else Proctor would have let her die in order to save his own reputation. Miller clearly shows how morals are more important than almost everything and readers relate to John through this because they too have high standards for their morals. Human beings also value morals just as much as Proctor does. Only some people would lie just to live, and only some people would tell the truth in order to save their loved ones, but Proctor mirrors the person that most humans want to be, honoring integrity so much they are able to admit your sins and die to save a loved one. Proctor again proves his integrity, “How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul”