John Proctor Final Confession Analysis

In humanity, we are rarely willing to be portrayed as a terrible person. Many things can change your reputation heavily, such as making confessions. For instance, in the well known tragedy, The Crucible, by playwright Arthur Miller, is a story about unfair trials and false accusations. This story is mainly in light of the Salem witch trials, where false accusations lead to unjust trials. John Proctor, the main character, eventually decides not to confess, which brings about his hanging. Nonetheless, Proctor had already made three confessions, adultery to Elizabeth, confessing adultery to the court, and verbally confessing his witchcraft to the judges, leading the community to think less of him and consequently leading him to his demise. We …show more content…
Proctor makes this confession after concluding that it was the right thing to do in order to live. Proctor had talked earlier with Elizabeth and has promises to confess. Therefore, Proctor concedes, “I will have my life.”(Miller 137). Proctor confesses to witchcraft, because this permits him to live. The community of Salem thinks less of Proctor, because they actually believe he is indulging in witchcraft. This is because witchcraft is against the Puritan way of life. Next, Proctor must make the final confession, which involves signing a legal document. After Proctor signs the paper, he realizes that the judges want to post his confession on the door of the church, so he takes it back. Danforth angrily states, “ Is that document a lie If it is a lie I will not accept it”(Miller 143). This demonstrates that Proctor lied when talking about performing witchcraft. He was only saying that to stay alive. Now, he understands that it is not worth lying to stay alive, because his name in Salem will be ruined in the process. This confession is a significant component of the play because it proves John will sacrifice his life, in order to restore lost morals to