The Hero in John Proctor

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In court, John Proctor not only fought for his wife, but for Giles’s and Francis’s wives as well. For evidence of their three wives leading good Christian lives, he brought a petition signed by people of the town. He gave it to Danforth saying, “Will you read this first, sir? It’s a sort of testament. The people signing it to declare their good opinion of Rebecca, and my wife, and Martha Corey” (Miller 1226). He also adds, “ These are all landholding farmers, members of the church. If you’ll notice, sir—they’ve known the women many years and never saw no sign they had dealings with the devil” (Miller 1226). When it was Mary Warren’s turn to testify, Abigail saw a chance to make her look foolish. Being the manipulative, conniving girl she was, she took it. Acting, as her life depended on her performance, her eyes went to Mary and she said, “I—I know not. A wind, a cold wind has come over me (Miller 1234). Accusations of witchcraft fell on Mary and it only got worse. Abby continued her plotting with even more ridiculousness by repeating everything Mary said. That brought John to confess to lechery in absolute anger towards Abigail. He knew lechery was punishable by death, but admitted it knowing there was nothing left to do. It was his last effort to save Elizabeth.

In the last act of the play, John Proctor had been accused of witchcraft and the courts were trying to get a confession from him. To increase their chance of a confession, they had Elizabeth talk to John. She told him how proud she was of Giles’s death because he didn’t confess. Without the confession, his sons could keep their family’s land. When John asked Elizabeth what she would think about him confessing, she simply said, “Do what you will. But let none be your judge. There be no higher judge under Heaven than Proctor is! Forgive me, forgive me, John—I never knew such goodness in the world!” (Miller 1252) John eventually confessed, but he realized that his confession would be another sin to clean himself of. Before his confession was taken to the church door, he pleaded with Danforth saying, “I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! (Miller 1255) He ripped the confession to pieces explaining that he’d given up his soul, but wanted his name to stay clean for the sake of his sons. John couldn’t confess and let his friends hang for witchcraft. When Hale tried to get Elizabeth to stop Proctor, she told him, “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” (Miller 1256)

In the end, John Proctor was hung as the tragic hero of The Crucible. He died without a secret sin and without blackening his name by nailing his confession to the church. He died knowing his sons could walk learn to walk like men and that he didn’t betray his friends. His death, in his eyes, was because of the one weakness in life, lust for Abigail Williams.