The title of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible is significant both literally and symbolically. The Crucible explores the vulnerability of society and the difficulty of doing good in the presence of evil. Miller's characters endure great social pressures at both the social and personal level. Webster's Dictionary defines the word crucible as a heat-resistant container in which material can be subjected to great heat, a severe test, or a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. A crucible is meant to purify, usually by fire. A great irony since the fire that burns in Salem does not purify. Instead, it confuses and corrupts. One of the most affected characters is John Proctor. John Proctor is subjugated by great amounts of heat and pressure both from within himself as well as exterior pressures. The title The Crucible is symbolic of the pressure put on Proctor by himself, the court, and his wife, Elizabeth.
             John Proctor serves as the voice of reason and justice in The Crucible. However, because of his affair with Abigail Williams, Proctor questions whether he is truly an honorable man. As a result of the pressure on his soul, Proctor swears to never lust for Abigail again. "I will cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again" (1246). After all the time he has spent suppressing his sins he finally feels compelled to confess. He explains himself to Danforth apologetically: "God help me, I lusted" (1309). He reveals the darkness of his soul to save his wife. He places pressure on himself to be a good husband even if that means condemning himself to save Elizabeth. John Proctor has a guilty conscience since his sin, and he believes that because of his choices he does not deserve the good name that he has: "I'm not worth the dust on their feet" (1333). He will not call himself a martyr because he believes that his sins keep him from being a hero. He does not retract his con...