The Crucible Essay - Introducing John Proctor

Question -

Choose a drama in which a character makes a strong impression early on in the action. Explain how their character becomes important to the theme of the play as a whole..

The character of John Proctor is established early on in Arthur Miller’s play ‘The Crucible’. Later on, the scene where he has his dramatic confrontation with Abigail in the courtroom is vital to the theme of hypocrisy. In this essay I will show how our first impressions of Proctor are confirmed over the course of the plot.

Proctor is a down-to-earth, forthright farmer. His ‘fiery’ temperament is established from entrance in Act one. Abigail’s friends leave the room as they are intimidated by him but when they are alone, she talks about the affair they had:

‘I have a sense for heat and you are no wintry man’

This both introduces the symbolism of heat and fire in the play, and gives a strong impression of his character. Heat imagery is used throughout the play to explore the nature of hypocrisy. A ‘Crucible’ suggests that the accused people of the town are trapped and under pressure, like a crucible on a fire. Proctor’s passionate nature makes him seek the truth but also causes his downfall.

When the audience first sees Proctor he has failed as a husband by having the affair; he is talking to Abigail rather than Elizabeth. But he turns Abigail away, and his devotion to Elizabeth is vital to the story. When the audience first sees him, Abigail describes her as a ‘snivelling woman’ and even Proctor says her justice ‘would freeze beer’ when they are talking about his affair. But later in the play, we learn her love for Proctor is stronger than her desire to tell the truth – she lies about the affair with Abigail to protect his reputation, causing their case to collapse. However, his belief that she would be honest even if it ruined his reputation shows his strong feelings towards her and faith in her.

In the first description of Proctor, he is a ‘sinner’ in his own eyes. He is an outsider – he built the church so he has respect within the community but he broke the rules by having an affair with Abigail. He doesn’t know the Ten Commandments and is criticised for failing to go to church. However, when he defends Elizabeth during her arrest, he says he will ‘fall like an ocean upon that court’. This is an allusion to the book of Exodus where the sea falls on the Pharaoh’s army. This suggests he is truly religious, in contrast to men like Parris who are conducting the witch trials for their own benefit.

In the courtroom scene, Proctor’s desire for truth becomes his downfall as the court is manipulated by Abigail. He is finally wiling to admit the affair and reveal himself as a hypocrite, yet this does not save him. Abigail’s reaction to the accusation is clever:

If I must answer that I will leave and I will not come back again.

The town people are reluctant to lose their show trial. Abigail realises that she can continue with the deception. In this way, she is part of the town’s values. The audience feels a sense of injustice at the hypocrisy on display. In the first scene, Abigail is sceptical about the church because of what Proctor has told her, but by the end of the play, she has become the centre of the witch trial.

At the end of the play, Proctor is executed along with the others but he refuses to confess. His name is more important than his life. This leaves the audience with a feeling of optimism despite the tragic conclusion. It shows that the truth can survive even when people die. In this way, our impression of him at the start of the play, as someone with integrity who has lost his way, is borne out by the tragic ending.

My Comment

Another 'Crucible' essay with a different emphasis. The way an author introduces a character is always important to a play or novel, and can set the tone for what happens later in the action. Note that you don't have to talk about the way Proctor is introduced for the entire essay.

English teachers may quibble that I don't mention a technique in the topic sentences of each paragraph. This could be fixed by inserting a technique word in the first sentence of each paragraph - for example, for 'In the courtroom scene ...' work in the word conflict. This would make the topic sentence something like: 'The playwright's use of conflict comes to the fore in the courtroom scene.'