Pride In The Crucible

Words: 973
Pages: 4

Pride, greed, envy, and selfishness are common characteristics found in literature. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor displays pride. He is the protagonist, a farmer in Salem, Massachusetts, and the husband of Elizabeth Proctor. The story takes place during the Witch Trials of 1692, when hundreds of people in the community were accused of being witches by a group of young girls. Proctor does not want to admit to his affair with Abigail Williams, he is opposed to Parris’ corruption and injustice, and he refuses to save his own life when given the opportunity. Through these actions, John Proctor shows his pride, which contributes to the literary work as a whole, as it deals with the issue of morality, involving several other …show more content…
At the climax of the trial, Abigail and the other girls claim to see a yellow bird on the beam of the courtroom, which is supposedly Mary Warren ’s spirit. Mary then accuses Proctor of being “the devil’s man.” Although he believes the court proceedings were fraudulent, Proctor faces jail time for this accusation. In Act IV, Scene III, Proctor and Elizabeth discuss whether he will confess to being a witch or deny the charge. Although he has considered confessing, Elizabeth feels that she shouldn’t forgive him if he won’t forgive himself. She thinks he’s a good man and she partially blames herself for his infidelity. On page 143, Proctor says, “Spite only keeps me silent. It is hard to give a lie to dogs. I would have your forgiveness, Elizabeth.” He refuses to lie and begs for her forgiveness. Elizabeth responds, “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.” (Miller 143) After Proctor sees his friends suffering, he ultimately confesses in order to protect his wife, but he does not give any details. He adheres to his morals instead of making the choice that could be considered more