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Arthur Miller wrote �The Crucible’ in 1950s. During that time communism was growing so quickly in American society that people were becoming afraid and senator Joseph McCarthy began his attack on people who he believed were communists. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is an honest, admirable man with a complex character. Throughout the story, Proctor undergoes many changes, eventually proving his determination and courage in his last decision to stand up for his beliefs, his ideas, and the truth. This decision earned him the respect and pride he needed, in the form of martyrdom. An insight on the reactions towards different characters reveals the true difference between Proctor and the other similar characters, such as Hale.
“I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is fraud. Im not the man” (Act 4, pg.109) Proctor, an honest and admirable man, plays one of the main parts in the Crucible, a play based on jealousy, superstitions and pride which is set in Salem, a puritan village, in the late 1600s. He is in his mid thirties, married to Elizabeth and has two children. Even though he is a simple farmer he represents one the most honourable and honest men throughout the village. The Crucible, shows us the similarities of the society of seventeenth century Salem and human nature today. The characters of John and Elizabeth Proctor and the events that took place in their lives, and how they, and those around them dealt with these events, helps us to understand what the society of seventeenth century Salem was like, and why. John Proctor enters the play in Act One. He is described as a farmer in his middle thirties, powerful of body, and even tempered and not easily led.
The scene opens with the Proctor’s house and we see John’s entrance. While Elizabeth comes downstairs, John is washing his hands and face. We see that Elizabeth is very sceptical about John’s