The Personal Responsibilities and Life Duties of John Proctor from Arthur Miller's The Crucible

According to Shakespeare's Hamlet, one principle of humanity reigns "above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, this central theme of righteousness and the human psyche emerges through the victims of the Salem witch trials. During the nine months of the witch-hunt disarray, John Proctor, the protagonist, battles his own inner evils as he fights to rescue his wife, Elizabeth, and his friends from the rope of death and from Abigail, the nefarious and jealous young woman with whom John had an affair, who toils incessantly to ensure their death. Driven by these events, Proctor burns through his own dark, personal crucible and extreme test of human character to realize his true responsibilities and duties in life toward his family, friends, and self.

Despite the consequences and risks to Elizabeth and his family, John Proctor acknowledges his duties toward his friends at a time of desperate need on their quest for justice. To begin, John's commitment to his friends initially surfaces during the encounter with the twisted legal system brought into Salem. By refusing Judge Danforth's bargain for the withdrawal of contradictory evidence against the bewitched girls in exchange for Elizabeth's life, John Proctor beams with loyalty, decency, selflessness and consideration for those in desperate need. John would have achieved his primary goal of saving Elizabeth's life had he taken Danforth's bargain, but his noble conscience would not allow him to abandon his responsibility as a human being and a friend to lend a hand. John's courageous decision to fight for the lives of others despite the risks to his family represents Proctor's inner goodness and quest for personal redemption. Moreover, John remains loyal to his friends even at a time of great psychological pressure. Through his constant denial of having seen an accused with the Devil, John Proctor reveals a righteous personality that no being can undermine into lying as previous witnesses had. On previous occasions, an accused witch's or wizard's claim that they had seen a member of the community with the Devil instantly expunged their death verdict. However, John refuses to follow the approach which others have taken and firmly denies having seen anyone with Satan. Proctor's strength of character reigns the moment, for many have given into the pressure of crying-out others for the selfish sake of life. Finally, Proctor's dedication to his friends and his devotion to innocence remain unchanged even during his last moments alive. When John Proctor signs his confession but refuses to hand it to Danforth for public display on the church door, an inner struggle ignites as John realizes that his public confession would serve as decisive proof concerning the guilt of his friends and neighbors. Proctor signs the confession to save his life alone, but the haunting fact that his name will be nailed to the church door would mean that the common townsfolk would assume the guilt of all the accused who refused to confess. John knows that the town respects him and that his signature upon a confession would convince a greater number of people of Sarah's, Rebecca's, and Giles's guilt more than any court official's statements. Although he wants his life, Proctor cannot "blacken all of [his neighbors]" as his name "is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence," since such a treasonous action against his closest companions would trouble the poor farmer until his death (Miller 132). Staining the names of his friends as wait to hang will in itself serve as a sin against the purity of the "true saints."

Moreover, Proctor's good nature emerges through his relationship with his family. By seasoning the rabbit dish behind Elizabeth's back and by promising to buy George Jacobs' heifer, Proctor wishes to compensate for his sins against his wife and seeks her forgiveness in order to rebuild his home. Proctor's acts of appeasement toward Elizabeth clearly exhibit his struggle for loving redemption. Proctor seasons the rabbit so that he could sincerely enjoy it and thank her for making a perfect dish, thus lifting her mood. The heifer represents Proctor's attempt at material appeasement, where John wishes to purchase a gift for Elizabeth much in the same modern manner where people purchase gifts to compensate for faults and mistakes. John recognizes the harm of his own creation toward the family and tries any method to compensate for the sons he failed and wife he betrayed.

Second, when John rejects the lure of Abigail's' seduction at Paris's residence by pushing her away, he protects the fragile relationship he has with his family and lives up to his role in the home. Proctor has not forgotten Abigail, but he rejects her approaches firmly due to his sense of belonging to his family and his love for Elizabeth. Proctor refuses to allow anyone to lead him astray from his new path of love and goodness, despite the delicate, tense, and often explosive relations with Elizabeth. John accepts the role of a loving husband and a role-model father that he has broken before. Proctor realizes that the vows taken at marriage bear more weight in God's eyes than a promise made hastily in a bed. Lastly, when John Proctor explodes in total fury at Cheever who has come to incarcerate Elizabeth, Proctor realizes his direct responsibility for his wife's verdict and peril. John cannot "give [his] wife to vengeance" and cannot allow Abigail to "jangl[e] the keys of [his] kingdom," his home (Miller 73). In the beginning phases of the court, John was reluctant to tell any of the court officials of Abigail's confession to pretense, but with Elizabeth's life bound to the noose because of his actions Proctor prepares to fight to the end.

Finally, John's crucible leads him to the inner realization of his own duties and responsibilities to his conscience and soul. Through his personal vow to never again sinfully approach Abigail, John Proctor reveals himself powerful and firm-minded in character. John's powerful character enables him to forbid himself the sexual passion which he has not forgotten. Although sin masks his good character, John refuses to commit lechery despite the constant physical and mental temptations which haunt him. Proctor targets the sinful faults he committed and learns from his mistakes, a quality of true integrity and nobleness. Also, John appears to repent his sins through the change of his status in Salem. By confessing at court that he has committed adultery, John Proctor takes upon himself the responsibility for his crimes against God and society. John's revelation at court that he committed one of the worst felonies prove him to be a righteous man who refuses to hide from terrible truths. Through his court confession, Proctor also confesses in front of God. Despite the possible consequences to his name, John admits his crimes in order to be whole with himself and to reveal the truth about his being.

Lastly, John's new sense of responsibility appears in his inner struggle against confession of witchcraft. When John Proctor tears his confession to witchcraft, he shreds his life to pieces for the sake of righteousness and truth and accepts the verdict for his sins. The farmer's dramatic destruction of the confession symbolically represents the emergence of a new, noble Proctor who does not consider himself to be pure enough ""to weave a banner . . . but white enough to keep it from such dogs" as the court officials (Miller 133). This new man refuses to lie to spare his life, mainly because of his acceptance of the death verdict for his sins. Subconsciously John allows himself to hang for the impurities of his soul. Proctor's inability to live in peace after a confession yields his epiphany, where John finally accepts himself and earns his goodness.

In conclusion, John Proctor's crucible leads him to the realization of his duties for his friends, family and self. Despite the past sins that blackened his world, Proctor's rebirth as a pure man in his character supports the notion which Shakespeare suggested. According to the famous playwright, people must be honest with themselves and live the life of reality instead of skulking behind shadowy thoughts and denial. Once all have cleansed themselves of lie by recognizing their share in troubles, they must accept others as their equals, for a lack of understanding toward others once again creates troubles and lies. Had John confessed, the lies would have haunted and poisoned his mind until his final moments on Earth. Also, the people of Salem would have associated John and his family with evil. The theme of man's loyalty found in The Crucible lives on in other times pf human trouble, such as instances during the Holocaust in which courageous men and women like Janusz Korczak risked or paid with their lives to save others in peril. True human responsibility rooted in goodness beams more refulgent than any other quality.

Arthur Miller, "The Crucible." Penguin Classic.