Describe the challenge faced by John Proctor Essay

Describe a challenge faced by a character in the text. Explain how the character dealt with the challenge.  In ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Millar, many of the characters faced challenges. One character who was faced with challenge was the protagonist John Proctor. He faced the challenge of trying to keep his reputation intact in the face of a judgemental Puritanical community ruled by superstition and religious intolerance. The fact that he had an illicit affair with a young woman named Abigail was a major obstacle to clearing his ‘good name’ along with the fact that his wife Elizabeth lied under oath in court to try to protect him. John Proctor was faced with the decision between life and death to deal with the challenge of trying to clear this ‘good name’ John Proctor, the protagonist, had the major challenge of trying to deal with his adulterous affair with Abigail, the key anatagonist in the play. Abigail envied John’s current wife Elizabeth and she wanted to take her place. When Abigail had the chance to accuse people of being witches, Elizabeth was her first victim. Proctor however had to ruin his good name in order to accuse Abigail of faking her claims. To do this though was a challenge he faced as he was a man with high morals and didn’t want to ruin his name. A further challenge that John Proctor faced was when his wife Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft and had to testify to clear his name. When his wife Elizabeth was arrested after she was accused by Abigail of being a witch, Proctor knew he could have stopped this trial from continuing. He had the option of telling the court that the trial is a sham because he had an affair with Abigail and that she was out for revenge after Elizabeth kicked her out of the Proctor household and also because Proctor firmly rejected her saying â€Å"I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again†. The problem was if Proctor admitted his affair with Abigail, his reputation will be ruined. Eventually he finally admitted his affair saying â€Å"God help me, I lusted† implying that he regrets having an affair, but it was too little too late as the trials were no longer in his hands and was controlled by the court. The reason why it was difficult for John Proctor to clear his name Religious intolerance was rife in the Puritannical town of Salem and the court system was based on Biblical law. and you were either with or against God and like Danforth said â€Å"you are either with or against the courts†, you can only support one side. It is hard for Proctor to keep his reputation clean because of this reason. When he testified against Abigail, he put his reputation at stake. Eventually he is betrayed by Mary Warren and his final words â€Å" it is a whores vengeance† states that the court is based on myths not facts and Abigail is only doing this for revenge in Proctor’s final attempt to turn the courts. In the end, the final challenge that Proctor faced was whether to live or die to clear his name. When he was declared a witch by the religious court, he had the option of either signing a confession admitting to this or going to the gallows. Initially, he signed the confession but then ripped it up when he realised it would ruin his reputation and he felt guilt over the others who had been falsely accused. after his plea â€Å"give me my name, I have given you my soul† is rejected. At this point Hale the witch-hunter feels guilty about his actions and pleads to Elizabeth to make him confess; all she did was say â€Å" he’ll have his goodness now, god forbid I take it from him† stating that it was his choice and she can’t take it from him.  Therefore, through the circumstances that Proctor had, he dealt with the situations with courage and dignity. He managed to redeem himself from his earlier sins and keeping his reputation clean by choosing to hang rather than living in shame and having nothing to live for. In this way Proctor has ended his life full of pride and having his reputation clean.