Internal Conflict In The Crucible Essay Example

"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched Abby."(Miller 29). Before the events of The Crucible by Arthur Miller had occurred, Abigail and Proctor were entangled in an affair. The events of the affair soon held a weight on Proctor's conscience, causing him to end his relationship with Abigail. Despite the split between the two of them, John still had lingering affections toward Abigail. This weakness of Proctor's, supported by his ignorance of Abigail's capability, would come to haunt him in the end and serve as the spark to incite the events of the play. In The Crucible, Miller holds John Proctor primarily responsible for the tragic events of the play, as Proctor's ignorance and faltering towards Abigail led to his downfall, which allows Miller to demonstrate the message of how internal flaws sparked from willful ignorance could be fatal.

To begin with, blindsided by his perception of Abigail, Proctor's ability to gloss over Abigail's true intentions serve as a catalyst for his destruction. Progressively throughout the novel, Abigail uses manipulative measures in an attempt to win Proctor's love. At first, when Elizabeth Proctor addresses her concern about Abigail's vengeful actions towards her, Proctor dismisses Elizabeth's accusations, believing Abigail would not go to great lengths and accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft. Miller Asserts, "I say sit down! She sits, trembling. He speaks quietly, trying to keep his wits. Now we must be wise, Elizabeth"(Miller 66). As Proctor still has warmth for Abigail, the thought that she would be capable of such deceitful acts shocks him, as he underestimates her ability to manipulate a situation to get what she wants. Proctor's clouded judgment allows him to question his wife's claims. Initially,  John had not believed his wife's claims of Abigail's vengeful accusations. But, as act 2 progresses, it is revealed that Proctor had become knowledgeable of Abigail's motive for condemning Elizabeth. Miller Illustrates, "She cannot think it! He knows it is true"(Miller 67). Elizabeth had explained to John that Abigail's motivation for denouncing her was to replace Elizabeth as Proctor's wife. Despite now understanding Abigail's cause, Proctor made no action to confront Abigail for her claims, as he doubted that Abigail's plans would make it far. To defend his wife, Proctor enlists the help of his servant Mary Warren to dispute Abigail's claims. Abigail, being one step ahead of the court, enacts the help of her followers, to accuse Mary of witchcraft. Unfortunately, Mary Warren falls victim to Abigail's manipulative ploys and turns on John Proctor, certifying his fate. Miller States, "I’ll murder you, he says, if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court, he says"(Miller 121)!  As Abigail had instigated the witchcraft accusations in Salem, it's evident that she would use witchcraft to evoke fear and coercion into her supporters. This tactic interlocks with Mary Warren, as she condemns Proctor to his death, to save herself from Abigail's wrath. Proctor's inability to see past the perception of Abigail instilled in his mind led to irreversible damage being inflicted upon Proctor's family.

Consequently, Proctor's internal flaw of pride allowed him to seal his fate. Throughout the play, Proctor is characterized as a moral Christian, who had many internal struggles, with pride being one of them. At the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth had warned Proctor about the promise of two individuals give to each other in bed, which is love. Sarcastically, Proctor exclaims that his relationship with Abigail was merely sexual. Miller exclaims, "Then how do you charge me with such a promise? The promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave that girl"(Miller 68)!  Proctor's pride comes to the surface, as he doesn't want to believe that the promise he had made to Abigail prompted her to attack Elizabeth. As Proctor had unknowingly given Abigail the promise of love; it motivated Abigail to use witchcraft accusations for her advantage. This eventually led to Proctor's downfall, as he became a victim of the ploys utilized in the witch trials. In the scenes of Act 3, Danforth proclaims to Proctor that his wife, Elizabeth is pregnant. John already knows that his wife is an honest woman, so he doesn't doubt that his wife would lie about her pregnancy. Miller demonstrates, "But if she says she is pregnant, then she must be! That woman will never lie, Mr. Danforth"(Miller 95). Proctor affirms that his wife would never lie, contributing to his prideful tendencies. This statement foreshadows the events that will later occur. Proctor, who is desperate to save his wife, confessed to adultery. The court enlists the help of Elizabeth to confirm the accusations; she lies to protect John's honor and reputation. This lie would allow Proctor to be suspected of witchcraft and affirm his death sentence. At the end of act 4, John has an internal struggle, as he decides whether to confess to witchcraft, which will protect his reputation and livelihood. Knowing that confessing to witchcraft will worsen his reputation and name, Proctor decides to rip up the confession. Miller exclaims, "Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name"(Miller 145)!  Proctor's pride prevents him from further living on, as he'd rather confirm his death, instead of confessing to a crime that would ruin his reputation and name. Proctor's unwillingness to look past his pride contributed to his death.

To Summarize, Throughout The Crucible, Miller holds John Proctor accountable for the destructible events that occurred in the play, as Proctor's failure to see past Abigail's pretense led to his downfall, allowing Miller to demonstrate how internal flaws coincided with ignorance could lead to one's destruction. By being blinded by ignorance, the livelihood of Proctor and his wife was threatened. Proctor's failure to look past his pride resulted in him being mishandled during the witch trials. By not looking past his pride, Proctor was able to keep his morals intact, putting them above his well-being, which ultimately signed his death warrant. Overall, John Proctor contributed to the tragic events that occurred in the play, as his ignorance and fatal flaws blinded him into underestimating Abigail's full capacity, while his pride served as the catalyst that would cause his death.