The Crucible
By: Isaac and Mitch
John Proctor
John Proctor’s reputation is at risk because his intercourse with Abigail in the book. You can tell he doesn't want to hurt her feelings but he wants to make it clear that he is done with her so on page 23 in the stage notes it says “gently pressing her from him, with great sympathy but firmly” then he calls her “Child” he also tells her on the same page “ I may think of you softly from time to time. But i’ll cut off my hand before i’ll ever reach for you again.” She doesn’t react well to that she starts talking about his sick wife Elizabeth and that makes him more angry with her.
His reputation is also at risk because people such as Putnam is accusing him of things such as not coming to church in a while. On page 28, Putnam says “ I never heard you worried so on this society, Mr Proctor. I do not think I saw you at sabbath meeting since snow flew”. They are basically saying he's a bad christian because he's not “letting his light shine”. Proctor then says “I have trouble enough without I come five miles to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation’. Not only Putnam is accusing him but so is Rev Hale. Hale shows up at John’s house and kinda accuses him because he makes him site the commandments. On page 64, Hale says “I thought sir to put some questions as to the christian character of this house, if you'll permit me”. He also says “ 26 times 17 month sir. I must call that rare. Will you tell me why you are so absent”? They are trying to make him feel guilty about himself when he knows he's an alright christian.
The Crucible. Dir. Nicholas Hytner. Perf. Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. 20th Century Fox, 1996. DVD.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. New York: Penguin, 1982. Print.