You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without i think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every movement judged for lies , as though I come into a court when I come into this house!” (Act 2, 157-164). With each line, the guilt and regret within John Proctor becomes more and more apparent. He is fully aware of the severity of his past actions, and all he asks for is a miniscule amount of mercy. The cold shoulder he receives from his wife is understandable, but it’s apparent that he still has love for his wife, or he wouldn’t be trying everything in his power to make Elizabeth happy again. At this point, John has held his resent in, and he lets it out when saying “I see now your spirit twists around the single error of my life, and I will never tear it free!” (Act 2, 416-417). This reveals that John’s anger isn’t only toward his wife, but the core of this outlash is aimed at himself, and the fact that he isn’t really able to fix what he’s done only adds fuel to the fire. This anger that he has becomes motivation to further himself towards redemption of his sins, showing his progress towards becoming a better …show more content…
In the trial that inevitably leads to John Proctor’s arrest, he gives the ultimate sacrifice, revealing his actions with Abigail in an attempt to prove his wife’s innocence. “Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence!” are some of the last words to come from the mouth of John Proctor near the end of the play (Act 4, 707-709). In the end, an ultimatum is given to John, either save himself and confess, condemning his friends, or do not and be hung for witchcraft. In this moment is when the true good in John Proctor comes to the light. After realizing that the truth will cost him his life, but the lies will cost his friends’ lives, he reaches true redemption and tears the confession that would’ve saved his life into pieces. These two moments are what define John Proctor as a character within this story, the man who admits his sin, but refuses to let others be punished for sins they did not commit, and in doing this he redeems himself of his own