The Crucible CaseThe old saying, “Dont judge a book by its cover, you never know whats inside” comes into play daily as we judge people mostly without chance given to counterprove the judgement passed. Although when a character lays down actions that support the judgement, it becomes harder to believe that character is truly dynamic. In Arthur Millers, “The Crucible”, a few characters can be labeled as dynamic. Mr. Proctor, or John Proctor, is one these dynamic characters. At first he seems a bit antagonistic, but as the play progresses he shows color and becomes a large character and important to the plot. John Proctor is a dynamic character certainly because he appears atagonistic, grows to be sensible and ends up a tragic hero.
In the beginning of the play, John Proctor doesnt rub off on the reader well. Miller leads off with a previous affair when Abigail proclaims, “You clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near!…you loved me then and you do now!(Miller, 22)”. This gives a Proctor an immoral, sinner type of personality right of the bat. At the time it was vital to be pure, hence the term Puritan. Proctor, though, was actually a good man. If word that he had an affair with Abigail would ruin his hard-working, proud reputation. John Proctor admits his affair to the reader when he says, “Abby I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before Ill ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched Abby. (Miller, 23)”. This keeps in mind that he may have done wrong and sinned but he feels guilt and sorrow. He knows it could ruin his good reputation along with a relationship with his wife, Elizabeth Proctor.
The second act brings us to Proctor finding himself feeling judged and untrusted by his wife. Word gets to the Proctors, from Mary Warren a servant, that Goody Proctors name was brought up in the trial. Elizabeth is convinced that it was abigail who accused her. Soon after, the town marshall arrives with a warrant to arrest Goody Proctor, enraged John asks Mary to testify. This is where John becomes sensible; in trial against the girls, John not being able to bear the thought of losing his wife to the trial, calls Abigail a whore and confesses, “I have known her, sir. I have known her (Miller, 110)”. This is a rather sensible act; he threw away his reputation to save his wife. Not to mention he
faggers Mary, and tells her the truth, that the Town marshal’s wife may not trust him anymore. By his own testimony, Goody has been treated like a criminal and will be executed for treason.
2nd Act, 4th Act, 7th Act, 1783
John is being summoned to the trial as a witness. This is a serious situation; when the Town Marshal hears from Mary Warren, the judge will believe that Goody had a child with Mary before, & she will send an attorney to ask him what that child really was. Mary, Mary, Abigail, the men, and even John stand ready to take them out. Mary goes out to them in company and tells them how John took his betrothed, & the court will determine the sentence. When the trial is begun, Mary tells the jury of her “confession,” saying that it was Mary who put John in a cot. John is asked how Mary and Abigail got to be married and, if you can guess what’s going on, it is not quite so simple. Mary tells John “it was Abigail, Abigail at the time” & says, “a man who has two wives,” not sure it is the same sentence used by Abigail. Mary is ordered to leave John in jail and then to get out of there himself.
John comes to the door with his attorney, is told that his wife is dead & has the court sealed the courtroom, and to leave them to his own destruction in the meantime. The two men give up, saying: he must go with them and that to do so they need to prove that John gave birth to a child. Mary says they have no grounds for getting in their way, but that John will not leave them to their own destruction. John doesn’t need her help to prove his innocence. John is arrested and brought to his sister’s home, and the sisters give him a letter from him requesting that he leave. He and Mary go to jail. Mary wants the judge to let John go. Mary is afraid he will escape from jail & get arrested himself. John is sent to prison for the rest of his life. As the day goes by, Mary and Abigail begin to feel some of the anger of the world for their failure in this matter. Abigail is taken aback; her sister doesn’t really want to hear about it, or see the good things she says to the town, she thinks that it just won’t happen, but the jailhouse girls will be jealous of it and will stop their plans without a word to their sisters, Mary and Abigail say