Thomas Paine once wrote, “These are the times that try men's souls.” He of course was speaking of the difficulty the colonists faced during the Revolutionary war. However, we see that throughout history there have been numerous times when man has been faced with great dilemmas, the outcomes of which have had an effect on society as a whole. Those who lived in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, were faced with such similar struggles. Some of these battles were outwardly fought and others were the, sometimes more brutal, internal battles, in which the victor had a strong effect on the whole Salem community. The outcomes of the inner conflicts found in the characters of this novel, were based upon whether or not the players chose to submit to the pressures put upon them by a society that was rooted in the strict control of all aspects of life. Throughout the play Jon Proctor, in looking out for he and his wife’s welfare, his soul and name, and the town, makes decisions which are of important consequence to himself and to the greater community. In The Crucible, we see through John Proctor’s various motivations, Arthur Miller’s underlying theme of the difficulty and importance for one to be an indivi
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Moreover, Proctor tells Danforth in a fury, “ Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this [ the signed document] is nailed to the church door the very day they hang for silence. ” Proctor’s uncertainty about giving his admission shows how great the battle within him must be, while he is submitting himself to live a lie. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before. Later, we see that even when he does admit to it, with great difficulty and shame, and openly discredit himself, the court does not believe him. ” Although at the end of the play Proctor is dead, he as Elizabeth says, “ Has his goodness now.
Throughout Act four, John’s concern for his soul and name are factors that influence whether or not he will choose to give up his individuality and live a lie. As Danforth asks him why, John answers with a cry, “ Because it is my name.
Emerson once said, “A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist. So when he finds, in the end of Act Two, that Abigail could ruin him without bringing her own “saintliness” down, he is disgusted with himself for not telling of his fornification when he had the chance to destroy her reputation. ” John realizes the true effect of his admittance on the community and that if he confessed he would cause all those that “[hung] for silence” to have died for nothing. Finally, the masterful scene between Proctor and his wife in the final act deals with his struggle to be true to himself and his community. Elizabeth refuses to judge Proctor and influence his decision to live, saying: “I am not your judge, I cannot be”. He refuses to “ blacken” his and the other martyrs names and to substantiate the whole witch trials.
Approximate Word count =
1486
Approximate Pages =
6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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