The Crucible, by Arthur Miller.

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In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, trouble is high in Salem. Young girls are responsible for the hangings of too many innocent lives; they claim that they have seen them (the innocent citizens of Salem) with the Devil. If the citizens admit to signing with the Devil, their lives will be spared. If they deny these accusations however, they are to be hung. John Proctor, a good, honest man. He is truly the tragic figure of this play, because he possesses every element of tragedy.      John Proctor was a respectable land owner who had a very high social standing in his community. He had a few fatal flaws, however. Proctor did not attend church routinely; because of this the court looks down on him. On the inside, John is indeed a good man, yet he has a guilty conscience that he will carry with him until the day he dies. He is a truly honest man, however, and will die for his beliefs.      In the prologue to the play, we learned that
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John Proctor has had sexual affairs with Abigail Williams. This is John’s downfall. He has committed a sin, and hasn’t admitted it to the church or the court. His wife, Elizabeth, is aware of his sin, and discharged Abby from her duties servicing them. Abby is the main “prophecy” in this play that sees people with the Devil. She wants to be John’s wife, but Elizabeth impeded this, so she said she saw Goody Proctor (Elizabeth) with the Devil and she signed his book. This is where John’s life takes a dramatic turn.      It was late one night and there ...

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