Write about the way John Proctor struggles to find the essential goodness in himself and show how he changes in the course of the play.

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Write about the way John Proctor struggles to find the essential goodness in himself and show how he changes in the course of the play.

At the beginning of the play we see Proctor With Abigail talking and their talk indicates that he has had a sexual affair with her. "I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near!" From this we see that john proctor is may not be as good and as pure as the village think him to be. However his wife Elizabeth certainly knows john is not an entirely good man at this point. There are other indications that john is not a good man in the entire scene other people see him to be. John lies about his reunion with Abigail to Elizabeth he says that she and he were together with people, but when it comes to reality he has to confess he was with her alone again. John proctors other major fault is his selfishness. John Proctor a farmer and village commoner is faced with an inner turmoil. He has committed adultery and had absolutely no intentions of joining in the witch trials unless his pregnant wife was to also get involved. So instead of telling the authorities at the beginning of Abigail's silly antics he leaves it alone and it's only really when his own wife is charged he really gets involved. He is worried that Abigail will expose him for the letch he is. Would john proctor have got involved and exposed Abigail if his wife had not been arrested? We also know that proctor is not a devout Christian; he does not attend church regularly "Twenty-six time in seventeen month, sir I must call that rare". He does not know all his commandments either. Proctor ironically forgets "thou shalt not commit adultery" Elizabeth has to remind him "Adultery, John". Presenting this we can assume that proctor only appears to be a good man and has no real essential goodness.
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However in contrast to that there is a side of proctor, which certainly emulates goodness.

John shows his good side as a Christian by helping build the church and mend the church roof. "I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door-". Also as we know that John proctor forgot one commandment, he did remember nine of them. This does signify a good man in a number of respects, he should have ideally known all ten but John has many other things on his mind his land and animals for example.

John ...

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