All humans strive to appear as if they are the best people on the exterior for social gain and to uphold their good names. The inner conscience may be an entirely different story - a trainwreck- that doubts motives and actions. Reputation is a prime factor that drives the community of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to the hangings of various innocent beings. Reverend Parris highly regards his reputation more than standing up to the authority. Judge Danforth wrongly condemns and hangs townspeople, yet refuses to admit his faults. By contrast, John Proctor is an ashamed lecher, but prioritizes saving his wife and saving the unjustly convicted people who are still alive. Throughout The Crucible, Arthur Miller utilizes corrupt male authority figures
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He is deeply concerned about how his previous actions will affect his ethical reputation, yet exposes his past fornification to correctly condemn the evildoer. He questions, “Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now?” (77). John Proctor’s direct accusations question the accusers’ holiness, lawfulness, and veracity of their fables. In fact, he becomes the voice of the people unwilling to confess and deprecates the court’s authority. Proctor admits in court: “She [Abigail] thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! … God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat” (110). John risks his life and good name to rightly condemn Abigail and the girls of fraud. In return, he pays the ultimate price with his life on the line. He apprehends the importance of justice for the girls, for they have produced the witchcraft nonsense that dooms Salem townspeople. John admits, “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is fraud. I am not that man. My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before” (136). Although Proctor considers himself a horrible man, he attempts to be moral in his actions. He decides to adhere to his good name and individual dignity, instead of conforming to the court’s will. Confessing to the sins he did not commit would vitiate his reputation. John Proctor wants to die with his pride. His refusal in confessing portrays his strong beliefs of honesty are valued more than conforming with the confessors to live in
He is deeply concerned about how his previous actions will affect his ethical reputation, yet exposes his past fornification to correctly condemn the evildoer. He questions, “Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now?” (77). John Proctor’s direct accusations question the accusers’ holiness, lawfulness, and veracity of their fables. In fact, he becomes the voice of the people unwilling to confess and deprecates the court’s authority. Proctor admits in court: “She [Abigail] thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! … God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat” (110). John risks his life and good name to rightly condemn Abigail and the girls of fraud. In return, he pays the ultimate price with his life on the line. He apprehends the importance of justice for the girls, for they have produced the witchcraft nonsense that dooms Salem townspeople. John admits, “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is fraud. I am not that man. My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before” (136). Although Proctor considers himself a horrible man, he attempts to be moral in his actions. He decides to adhere to his good name and individual dignity, instead of conforming to the court’s will. Confessing to the sins he did not commit would vitiate his reputation. John Proctor wants to die with his pride. His refusal in confessing portrays his strong beliefs of honesty are valued more than conforming with the confessors to live in