Preview

Crucible Protagonist

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
603 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Crucible Protagonist
True Protagonist In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor shows his protagonist character by the respectable and honorable man he lives to be. In order to understand why John Proctor is the protagonist of the story, a definition of the word protagonist is indispensable. A protagonist is essentially the main character of a story, mostly known as the good character. The author spends most of his time on him, and usually the character changes or evolves during the course of the novel. The protagonist is frequently the hero of the novel and rivals with the minor ambitious character also known as the antagonist. With many complex characteristics, he is the center of the plot. Proctor has failed in his marriage, been accused of witchery, and concludes his life with forgiveness. Proctor exemplifies true heroism in his acts of clamorous times. As Proctor’s truths of adultery are revealed, he settles these rumors with claiming that it is truthful. John Proctor is most likely the true protagonist. In the Crucible, Abigail Williams is portrayed as the antagonist of the allegory. Proctor cheats on his wife, Elizabeth, with Abigail while Elizabeth is ill. The story proceeds with Abigail becoming jealous and desiring John for herself. John shows that he regrets his affair by stating to Abigail, "I will cut my arms off before I ever reach for you again". The focus of this sequence of events is how John deals with this situation. The Crucible literally means a hard test. His test is to overcome his troubles in his marriage and society. Society at this time is accusing its people of witchery. John works through his marriage problems and stumbles upon false accusations. As Abigail creates chaos throughout the town, the idea of witches has spread too. Proctor is accused of being a witch. He was chosen to be accused by the author because he is the protagonist. The focus is mainly on his life and his family. He chooses the right thing as he goes

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    John Proctor

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrayed John Proctor as a dynamic character in the story. John was a rural farmer in his thirties. John was an honest man who could not stand for hypocrisy. He isolated himself from the issues of Salem, Massachusetts by staying on his farm. Despite his hatred for hypocrites, John held a deep secret that would ruin his reputation if it was uncovered. This secret was his affair with Abigail Williams, who was once a servant to the Proctors and was the niece of Reverend Parris. John Proctor transforms from being minding his own business to becoming the center of the witchcraft trials in Salem.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Crucible, John Proctor, the protagonist of the play, is known as a tragic hero. He is a hero because in the end he stays true to his beliefs and his philosophies, knowing that by doing so he will be condemned to hang. Some may consider him as a tragic hero and some may consider him as only a pride filled coward for not telling the truth earlier.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I justify that the protagonist is John Proctor, the “Manly man” who had an affair on his wife and instead of coming clean he produces a scary moment in Salem’s history. Abigail Williams is the girl which has had John, after the affair she is driven by a crazy mind to get with John, she resorts to witchcraft and gives her own blood to give John’s wife to be with John. When John finds out about the attempt on his wife’s life, that his character turns into the good, loving husband, the town thinks he is, instead of the dishonest and unloyal husband his wife knows him to be. I say John is the protagonist because, the whole story seems to revolve around him. Finally I think the most important part of the play is when John said, “God is dead!!” this is greatly noticed by me and it takes guts to speak these things about God, in a Godly village.…

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Identity In The Crucible

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Through the hundreds of accusations of witchcraft, any innocent townsman’s life and identity could have been questioned and threatened. The character most associated with a threatened identity was John Proctor, a local farmer. After cheating on his wife, Elizabeth, she decides not to spread the story, but keeps it as a domestic issue. She scolds John time after time, reiterating the pain he causes. John just doesn’t want the story of his affair to spread throughout the town because he is worried about his own reputation and identity. Abigail, the woman he had his affair with, tries to convince Proctor to elope with her and leave Elizabeth, but John refuses. At the same…

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The character, in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", who holds a sexually motivated goal for accusing others, is Abigail Williams. When Abigail is the Proctors' housekeeper, she and John Proctor commit adultery before the Salem witch trails. John, however, feels guilty of his crime and sees through Abigail's methods to kill his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, by accusing her (From Page to Stage). Abigail and the other girls fake being bewitched to convince others of the witchcraft's validity of the accused (Scheidt, 11). The other people being accused of witch craft only strengthened her chances of winning support for accusing Elizabeth Proctor. Her main goal is to eradicate Elizabeth Proctor and to gain back John's "love". "When suspicion swings to his wife, John is forced to choose: keep quiet about his lechery or expose Abigail and possibly forfeit his own life (High Intensity)". She uses the Salem witch trails, in such a way, to try and achieve her single goal of winning back John Proctor, by trapping him. She fakes being attacked by Elizabeth Proctor allegedly using a voodoo doll to pierce Abigail's stomach. Her goal is not completed though in the end, because John loves Elizabeth so much, that he allows himself to be accused and be executed, rather than be with Abigail.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the characters in “The Crucible” that undergoes a major change is John Proctor. Proctor is one of the most important characters and he gradually changes throughout the course of the play. At the start of the play John Proctor has a strong willed personality and shows good leadership and authority. Through the changes that he makes, Proctor becomes a better person who finds a sense of goodness in himself. John Proctor goes from being someone who only cares about himself to a person who cares about what is really important to him. In the beginning, he has an affair with Abigail Williams, which causes all the problems because Abigail believes that if she can accuse Elizabeth Proctor, Proctor’s wife, of being a witch, than John Proctor will love her. This does not work out because towards the end Proctor realizes that his wife is the most important thing and confesses to having an affair with Abigail. He also tells everyone that he would rather die than have his name be ruined. Proctor almost gives in to saving his life by signing a confession that confirms him being a witch but at the end of the play he is more concerned with what is important than his public reputation. Proctor claims that God will save him for telling the truth and he will go to heaven. When Hale is begging Elizabeth to convince Proctor to confess, she says “He have goodness now. God forbid I take it from…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Crucible, conflict is explored in different ways. Although there is much conflict within these characters themselves, one that is emphasized during the story is between Abigail and John Proctor, a farmer who has had an affair with Abigail in the past. Abigail still has feelings for Proctor, despite the fact that he has told her their relationship is over, and she brings accusations against Proctor’s wife, Goody, in hopes of the getting back together with…

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Arthur Miller’s famous playwright, The Crucible, the character John Proctor can potentially be considered a tragic classical hero. For one, he does possess notable qualities of noble characteristics. He is not in a position of a higher stature, considering the fact that he is an average farmer, but he does live a noble life with his wife and three children. What created his flaw was his affair with Abigail Williams, the main antagonist in the story. This affair eventually lead her to accuse his wife, Elizabeth, of witchcraft in order for her to gain the possession of Proctor. From there, many other accusations arise and the Salem witchcraft trial becomes a gruesome event.…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Over the years, literary devices have changed as writers continually come up with new ones. One device that is has been used many times throughout the generations is the appearance of the tragic hero. Since the days of Shakespeare, tragic heroes have been used to enhance the meaning of a literary work. Any character cannot be described as tragic hero. Several key characteristics are necessary for the tragic hero to possess in order to be characterized as such. He must be high-ranked or have a high standing in the community. He must have a weakness or a tragic flaw and be involved in a struggle. In the end, that struggle will lead to his downfall. Arthur Miller purposely incorporates these characteristics into John Proctor, one of the main figures in The Crucible. He masterfully portrays Proctor as a tragic hero even though he is a common man.…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The story revolves around the accusations from a vengeful girl, Abigail, whose past affair with an older married man, John Proctor, leaves her wanting more. Proctor makes clear to her that he had made a mistake in having an affair with Abigail and from there the hysteria…

    • 1963 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The way in which the protagonist, John Proctor, is presented in The Crucible somewhat changes throughout the play. Firstly, he is presented as quite dominant and violent, however as the story progresses, he is presented still as a violent character but a much more likeable one. He is also one to go with his first instincts, and has a lot of pride. These two characteristics are the main factors that lead to Proctors downfall.…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The main character in Salem is John Proctor, an outspoken, successful, and well-respected farmer who chooses to stay away from the church. Religious at heart, this man who has sinned openly, condemns the witch trials while hiding a secret that could ruin the main accuser, Abigail Williams. Proctor is a man full of guilt, who uses the love of his wife, and his need to take responsibility for his actions to gain the strength to openly confess his sins, denounce Abigail Williams, and save his soul.…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Crucible was a controversial piece of literature by Arthur Miller. The main character Abigail Williams demonstrates that Unjust people or pride will attempt to break them down by pointing fingers, turning Salem people against each other, running away, and stealing money from her Uncle “Reverend Parris” to defend her mistakes. Abigail is in love with John Proctor, whom she has an affair with. John is married to Elizabeth and when she finds out that John is sleeping with another woman, Abigail, she fires her from being their maid. Abigail's hates Elizabeth’s guts, she will do anything to get rid of her and have John all to herself. Abigail came up with this idea if Elizabeth is out of the picture, maybe then her and John could be together.…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    <br>The protagonist, some what of a tragic hero, is John Proctor. Proctor is "a farmer in his middle thirties" who is " powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led." Although he isn't rich, he still demands, and is shown, respect in Salem. Often, Proctor stays home Sunday to aid his wife and to avoid Abigail Williams. His relationship with Abigail is one of shame and guilt. Abigail is still " in love," but says " I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind." Proctor's change was his self-perception. Introspectively, he views himself as a fraud. Ever since his affair with Abigail he knows he is a sinner. He will not let himself be forgiven, even from…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the factors that can be accredited to starting the hysteria over witchery in the Crucible is the weakness of several of the characters in the story. The fear and lack of mental stability of these characters are a pivotal reason as to why these trials took place. It was Parris’s fear of his reputation being tarnished by his daughter’ssickness that led him to bring John Hale which eventually spirals down to the whole witch hunting hysteria. It was Tituba’s fear of being hanged that led her to accuse all those people of being involved with the devil. It was John Proctors reluctance to get involved that led to the downfall of him as well as the town. It is our natural impulse as people to avoid anything that will either bring us harm physically or mentally without considering other perspectives of the situation. We make certain decisions without accumulating significant aspects; people can be blinded by fear as well as love. Like fear love is another weakness that is portrayed by a character in the play. Proctors love for his wife was obvious to the court and was eventually used against him. Proctor did involve himself in the town’s hysteria over witchery, even though he held significant evidence that could contribute to ending these trials. It was not until his wife was arrested that Proctor started to get more involved in the trials. Striving for the freedom of his wife Proctor eventually confesses his affair with Abigail squandering away his reputation. Although love is more of strength then a weakness in this play I see it as a weakness. Human weakness is greatly exposed in the Crucible; it is shown through the acts of the major characters in the story.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays