John Proctor Character Analysis Essay Sample

A beloved play by many across the globe, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a cautionary tale of scapegoating and group thinking. The Crucible details the events of the 1692 Salem witch trials when a group of girls manipulated their way into a power position to accuse innocent, lower-class citizens of crimes sentenced to death. Constantly, characters are challenged to either conform to the perception of those holding more power or stay true to themselves and be at risk for death. Often, reputation, perception, and power motivate characters’ actions. Throughout The Crucible, Miller utilizes its characters, Mary Warren, Reverend Hale, and John Proctor, reputation in society to show how perception is more powerful than the truth.

Despite the honesty of individuals in society, if they have a tarnished name, nobody will believe them. Throughout The Crucible, Salem is amidst a chaotic trial that targets lower-class citizens because they do not have respect from society. Society prioritizes the reputation of a person over anything else. John Proctor, a farmer who has a good reputation, is a character who battles with this idea quite often. While discussing power dynamics with Thomas Putnam, a wealthy and influential man, Proctor explains how “We vote by name in this society, not by acreage." (Miller 28). This idea is heavily apparent throughout the entire novel. Characters are supporting the extreme to keep their reputation pristine. Often, the fear of losing their reputation motivates characters. Countless characters are unwilling to tarnish their names, regardless of the punishment they may face. Thus, to survive, it is necessary to maintain a good reputation or one may become susceptible to the accusations of others. Multiple characters are even sentenced to death because they are accused of witchcraft and refuse to ruin their reputations by confessing to the lies. John Proctor is among the most prominent participants. After verbally confessing to witchcraft, Proctor is asked to sign his confession, or else he will be killed. He refuses “Because it is my name!” and he “cannot have another” it is not “worth the dust on the feet of them that hang” to give his name (Miller 143).  Proctor is unwilling to soil his reputation. He is motivated by reputation. Reputation controls his actions. And based on these actions, reputation is more important than life itself. He would prefer to die heroically as a good man than save his life by lying. Even though Proctor knows the truth about witchcraft, it is still more important how others perceive him.  Society prioritizes the reputation of a person over anything else. In Salem, there is an obsession with reputation. People want to maintain a pristine reputation that gives them a powerful position in society. Ultimately, the truth does not matter, it is the truth of others that does.  

Society prioritizing reputation is emphasized in the corrupt court system. Corruption in the court system causes the power of the truth to dissolve, leading to characters appealing to the perception of those who have potent and pristine reputations. Mary Warren, a young servant for the Proctors, is amongst the characters to utilize this corruption to protect herself and shift the blame onto others. However, when Elizabeth Proctor is convicted of witchcraft, Warren agrees to tell the truth to the court to save Elizabeth’s life. When questioned by Judge Hathorne and Judge Danforth about why she lied, she confesses that “I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them.” (Miller 107). The court is biased.  Judge Hathorne and Judge Danforth have extremely pristine and potent reputations. To stay on the right side of power, people are willing to alter the truth to appeal to the perception of those who hold more power. Thus, the power of one's truth dissolves. This concept is further highlighted by the reaction to the truth; nobody believes it. Warren is accused of lying because her perception of the events does not align with the perception of those with more power.  Once Warren realizes that her reputation is at risk, she alters her perception to that of those with more power, the court, and confesses that Proctor is “the Devil’s man!” and that she will not  “hang with you!” (Miller 118). Without hesitation, Warren is believed. In society, people believe those who share similar beliefs, while those disagreeing with them are called liars. Unfortunately, those holding more power are believed, while others are either forced to convert their perceptions or die. Warren demonstrates the corruption in the court system. There is a large contrast between telling the truth, and appealing to the perception of others. When Warren tells the truth, she is shamed and accused of lying. When she lies to appeal to the perception of the court, she is rewarded with praise, respect, and ultimately, power. Due to the corruption in the court system, the power of the truth dissolves, because opposing views are unwelcome.

Mary Warren shows the contrast between telling the truth and lying to support the perception of those with more power.  When one appeals to this clouded perception of the court, lower-class characters, who normally would not be in any position of power, experience an influx of it. Reverend Hale, a young reverend whose reputation is perceived as an intelligent expert of witchcraft, comes to Salem to attempt to provide insight on the events occurring. After Abigail accuses Tituba, a slave, of witchcraft, Hale confronts her, explaining how she is “God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents” and she was “chosen to help us cleanse our village" (Miller 46). Tituba is given an influx of power almost instantly because she may support the perception of those with power. She went from being at the bottom of society to nearly the top of it, holding the power of others’ lives in her hand. Hale’s clouded perception of the events gives Tituba power only if she supports Hale’s perception of events. He is relying on Tituba’s perspective to support his perception of the events. People believe their truth, not the truth of others. Ultimately, this group mentality causes the clouded perception of those in power to be emphasized, and anything opposing those views as deception. Near the end of the play, Hale realizes that the witch trials are fabricated and once he advocates against the witches, he almost instantly loses all of his power. Once Hale stops supporting the corrupt perception of the court, which holds more power than him, he loses nearly all of his power. In an attempt to save John Proctor’s life, Hale tries to convince Elizabeth Proctor to make John confess to witchcraft, begging her to“Let him give his lie” (Miller 132). Hale loses power as he begins to have a different perspective than the court. Hale is attempting to take advantage of the corrupt system to gain power. Even though Hale is aware that the witch trials are not real, to gain power, he is willing to support the incorrect perception of the court. As previously said, the court holds the power in society. Thus, their perception of events is the most important. When one appeals to this clouded perception of the court, lower-class characters, who normally would not be in any position of power, experience an influx of it.

In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, characters attempt to survive the harsh realities of reputation, perception, and power in society. Miller utilizes its characters Mary Warren, Reverend Hale, and John Proctors’ reputation in society to show how perception is more powerful than the truth. John Proctor teaches readers about the importance of position and reputation in society. Mary Warren shows that corruption in the court system causes the power of the truth to dissolve. Finally, Hale shows that when one appeals to the perception of the corrupt court system, characters gain an influx of power. The dangers of group mentality are emphasized throughout this play to show the importance of considering every perspective and not dismissing different ideas regardless of someone’s reputation.