The Crucible Puritan Society Analysis

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible showcases the Puritan society of the 17th century and their rigid and austere social conventions. The characters of the play are classified due to how they follow those social standings, and ostracized if they do not follow said conventions. The character of John Proctor willingly chooses not to follow these unspoken rules set by the community during the events of the play and, in turn, faces the consequences of these actions. John Proctor chooses to respond to the standards of Puritan society and is affected in a negative way because of his choices. Puritan society in itself has extremely strict standards and rules that the entire community is expected to follow. Trivial aspects in modern life, such as dancing, were not allowed in Puritan communities and people could be ostracized, jailed, or even excommunicated for such behaviors. A large emphasis was placed on religion and members of the community were anticipated to attend church extremely often. Witchcraft was a taboo subject as well, and people were sent to hang with only the barest accusation of conspiring with the devil. Gossip also ran like wolves in the society, as everyone knew about their neighbors’ dealings within days of the event’s beginning. The language of the play also contributes to the feel of the society. People use plain, undecorated language and speech patterns to reflect their plain way of life, …show more content…
He wants to keep up his honest image to the others, but that all dissolves once the witch hunt starts and his own façade is broken. He is a man who wants all his sins to be forgiven, even if it comes at the cost of his life. The society used to see him as a man to be looked up to and respected, but that became inverted as the trials revealed him as an adulterer and a liar. Still, he manages to respect himself up to the point of his death even if no one else in the society