John Proctor is a tormented individual. He believes
his affair with Abigail irreparably damaged him in the eyes of God
, his wife Elizabeth, and himself. True, Proctor did succumb to sin and commit adultery; however, he lacks the capacity to forgive himself.
What is John Proctor's view of himself?
Honest, upright, and blunt-spoken, Proctor is
a good man, but one with a secret, fatal flaw
. His lust for Abigail Williams led to their affair (which occurs before the play begins), and created Abigail's jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth, which sets the entire witch hysteria in motion.
What is John Proctor's beliefs?
Proctor is a member of
the Puritan religion
, which is actually a whole community centered around a specific belief system. This is a culture grounded in the values of the Christian faith, hard work, self-denial, and simple living.
Does John Proctor believe in witchcraft?
He does not believe in witches
.
What does John Proctor not believe in?
Expert Answers
Hale that John does not believe in
witches
because he is differentiating Proctor from others in the room—like Reverend Parris and Mr. Putnam—by implying he is not superstitious.
Why is John Proctor a hypocrite?
Feared and resented by the many people in Salem he has made feel foolish, Proctor has a powerful sense of personal integrity. For this reason,
his affair with Abigail
makes him see himself as a hypocrite.
Who was John Proctor in real life?
John Proctor (March 30, 1632 – August 19, 1692) was a
landowner
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was the son of John Proctor Sr. (1594–1672) and Martha Harper (1607–1667).
Why does Elizabeth say of John he have his goodness now?
He have his goodness now,
God forbid I take it from him
. What Elizabeth means is that her husband, John Proctor, has finally achieved redemption, and she will not take that away from him by asking him to confess to practicing witchcraft in order to save his life. … He did not engage in any practices of witchcraft.
Why does Proctor confess to adultery?
John Proctor's confession to committing adultery conveys
the disparity between preserving one's integrity and one's reputation
. … John Proctor's crusade to maintain his integrity ends with him deciding he would prefer to give up his own life rather than lie and condemn the innocent.
Who lost 7 babies in the crucible?
| A B | Tituba slave who “conjures” spirits | Ann Putnam lost 7 babies at birth | Reverend Hale minister from Beverly | Reverend Parris Harvard educated Salem minister |
|---|
Why does Elizabeth actually want John to go see Abigail?
Elizabeth originally wants John to go to Salem so he can tell the court that he knows the girls are lying. Then, when she finds out she was accused in court, she wants him to go to Salem to
speak directly with Abigail
. Elizabeth makes these requests with an eye towards correcting injustice and saving her own life.
Why does Betty start accusing others?
Abigail did not confess this to her uncle, Betty's father, and Betty knows this. Betty starts accusing people
to deflect suspicion away from herself and the other girls from their dabblings in the occult in the woods
. She is terrified into submission by Abigail, who tells Betty and the other girls, “…
What did John Proctor say to Abigail?
Here, John admits that he remembers his time with Abigail fondly, but that they'll never be together again. In fact, he tells her to forget it ever happened.
Spare me! You forget nothin' and forgive nothin'.
Why does Elizabeth refuse to stop him from being hanged?
Elizabeth does not stop him
because she is happy he finally forgave himself for his one sin (adultery)
. She says, “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!”.
What does Abigail do at the end of the play?
What does Abigail do at the end of the play?
She kills herself
. She flees Salem, after robbing her uncle. She is hanged.
What power does John Proctor have?
In acts 3 and 4, Proctor's control over his own life recedes, even as his voice in the public sphere grows more powerful. By the end of the play, he has become a
powerful figure of integrity and dissent
, potent enough to frighten Danforth and drive Hale to despair.
