Miller’s narrative at the opening of the Act1 introduces the protagonist (main character) of the play as John Proctor. ‘John Proctor is a strong and virtuous farmer in his middle thirties, he was a kind of man-powerful body, even tempered, and not easily led. Proctor is a down to earth man who speaks his mind and has a deep sense of pride in himself.’ However, we learn that Proctor regards himself as a sinner and for this reason he is not perfect. Miller creates Proctor like this so the audience view him as the ‘everyman’ (he could be any one of us). The audience are more likely to empathise with Proctor for this reason. These small details that Miller gives us, are very useful to help us understand Proctor all the more clearly. (His proud nature and straight speaking ways are reasons why he eventually rips up the confession he has previously signed.)
Proctor has aroused passion in Abigail Williams, a beautiful young maid. She despises Elizabeth, Proctors wife, and is drawn to Proctor herself. They became lovers and Elizabeth discovered this. The dialogue between Proctor and Abigail highlights the fact that the two have previously had a sexual relationship. The opening stage directions to this scene indicate Abigail's feelings for Proctor as she stands ‘absorbing his presence, wide-eyed’. Throughout the dialogue, her body language displays her need to regain Proctors affections. Proctor is at pain to point out the extenuating circumstances - the harsh struggle he has had with his farm, the emotional and physical weakness of his wife and the powerful appeal of Abigail's young beauty and vivid personality. However, Proctors stage directions demonstrate his determination to keep their affair in the past, ‘setting her firmly out of his path’. He is absolutely determined not to have another affair with her, because he is deeply in love with his wife. His guilt is bottomless for what he has done, for his responsibility to Abigail arising from this, ‘There is a promise in such sweat’ he later admits, (though he has dismissed the idea earlier to his wife.) For his disloyalty to Elizabeth, whose original suspicion is now so deep, that there is a seemingly unbridgeable gap between them.
Abigail is drawn to it however ‘challenge his loyalty to Elizabeth and finally in self-defence to subjugate Mary Warren’ – therefore destroying his credibility before Danforth. He is the victim of malicious jealousy of Parris and Putnam and all those who encourage the witch trials. But Proctor is a strong-willed character and is willing to stand up for his beliefs; he is faithful to God.
Although this is happening, the audience still empathise with Proctor, for we did not see his original flaw, we have only seen him in remorse for what he has done, and he is deeply sorry. For this, the audience side with Proctor.
You can see the tension between Abigail and Proctor in the stage directions in Act 1. ‘Winningly she comes a little closer, with a confidential, wicked air’. Her body language tells us that she still seeks intimacy with the man she still loves, Proctor. ‘Give me a word, John, a soft word.’ ‘(Her concentrated desire destroys his smile.)’ She is flirting with John and trying to win him away.
Proctor on the other hand is determined not to weaken as he has done before. Other stage directions in this short exchange highlight Abigail’s manipulative and dissembling nature as she changes from anger, to softness, to seducing and finally to sadness. Proctor eventually becomes angry, when Abigail calls Elizabeth ‘a cold snivelling woman’. Proctors anger is shown in his next line, ‘(shaking her): do you look for a whipping?’ This shows Proctor is offended somewhat by Abigail's remark.
We can see that Proctor is a strong man with a strange sense of social and individual conscience. Proctor has a ‘sharp and biting way with hypocrites’ and stands up for his beliefs. For this reason, he creates enemies in the Putnam’s; particularly Mr. Putnam to whom he refuses to defer. His proud nature is demonstrated with his interaction with Mr. Putnam in Act1. (The audience also dislike these characters, as if to respect Proctor’s judgements.) Look at the way he stands up to Putnam over issues of land ‘you cannot command Mr. Parris we vote by name in this society, not by acreage’ Proctor will not be undermined by the wealthy Putnam’s or by the Church, which the protagonist sees as hypocritical. It is this pride that the audience respect and admire. However, the audience sympathise with Proctor because of his weakness. Miller creates an imperfect character who can be regarded as an ‘everyman’ so that the audience understand his actions. We accept his failings as a human weakness, whereas other evil in the play is seen as malicious and scheming.
Proctor is a tragic hero in his efforts to save his wife in Act2. Proctor’s first display of trying to save his wife is shown when the Court officials come to take Elizabeth away after being accused earlier that day. Proctor is so infuriated by this assault on his house that he rips the warrant and tells them to leave rather forcefully saying, ‘Damn the Deputy Governor! Out of my house!’ demonstrating his intense love for his wife. Notice that passion was rarely seen in the play before now; he has a -loss of self- control.
It is a cumulative process through the first 3 Acts, how Proctor shows his goodness. It is confirmed and consummated in the fourth Act. In Act1, we see his determination to stay loyal to Elizabeth against Abigail's appeals. (At a lower level we can also see his physical authority in his dismissal of Mary Warren to her duties at his home, this is very heartless of him, for she is only a little girl.) His care for his farm, a devotion and a deep pleasure shows in Act2, we ought to remember this for later on in the play. He shows his care for Elizabeth, the salt in the stew lets him praise it more honestly, (through stage directions).
The setting throughout Act3 is in the ‘anteroom of the ‘General Court’. Millers stage directions indicate that the room is ‘solemn, even forbidding’ Miller uses this to create dramatic tension. To prepare the audience for later happenings, that take place in that very room. The language he’s used makes the audience think something bad will happen, it sets the atmosphere for the courtroom. Miller has decided to set such an important scene in this setting because of the ‘dramatic tension’ created in that room throughout the play.
Act3 is important because Miller creates a tense, dramatic scene: as Proctor and Abigail are on the stage side by side. Beforehand, Proctor has confessed in court to having a sexual relationship with Abigail, ‘I have known her sir, have known her’. The audience’s view of Proctor is changing however this confession brings back Proctors goodness, and faithfulness to his wife. Miller conveys Proctor’s sense of conscience here and pride in the stage directions, ‘his voice about to break, and his shame great’. However, Elizabeth is then brought in to verify Proctor’s confession she lies to the court, to protect her husbands name, (not knowing that he had confessed), also showing her faithfulness to her husband. Clearly, there is much dramatic irony here for the audience, who feel the tension in this scene and empathise with the protagonist.
This is significant because, ironically, Elizabeth’s protection of her husband also protects Abigail from being exposed as a liar. Proctor desperately wants to prove that Abigail is lying, so that the authorities will discontinue the witch-hunt, and cease to hang innocents. However, at the end of Act3 Abigail is more powerful than ever. In this sense, the events in the courtroom also contribute his downfall. Proctor is distraught at the thought of forcing his wife to lie, after previously saying ‘she is a good woman, and would not lie.’
The opening stage directions to Act4 indicate a claustrophobic, gloomy atmosphere, ‘A cell in Salem jail, that fall’. The stage directions indicate that Proctor feels torn between telling the truth, (dying for justice) and lying, (but living to see his children grown up). Miller’s use of paralanguage indicates that he cannot look his wife in the eye, as he says ‘I have been thinking I would confess to them Elizabeth’. By looking closely at the stage directions and dialogue in this Act, you may note that it is against Proctor’s nature to be dishonest.
The dramatic climax of this final Act is when Proctor refuses to lie for the authority and pretend to be a witch. He is adamant that his name will not be blackened for his children and Proctor also protects the dignity of those who have already died for truth.
‘(With a cry of his whole soul) Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies, because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang. How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave my name!’ Proctor stands up for his beliefs and for his integrity, this leads to his death.
However, it is only through telling the truth that Proctor finds peace of mind and then and only then, becomes a tragic hero. Elizabeth then ends with ‘He have his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him’.
Conclusion
After the affair with Abigail, Proctor felt shamed by Elizabeth's self-control, as well as a huge feeling of guilt. John Proctor was not the same man to himself as he was to others. In a way, their admiration revolted him. This was because he was disgusted with himself. John Proctor judged himself harshly. Before Abigail came and ruined his peace, he was always sure of himself. After Abigail, he was sure that nothing he would ever do would be pure and honest again.
Proctor’s “tragic hero” status was illustrated by his efforts to save his wife from being put to death, his attempt to prove the children are making fraudulent claims, and his unwillingness to confess to practicing witchcraft when accused.
Personally I believe all humans are created with flaws, which control our emotions and often twist our lives. We are put into predications because we are having a hard time of controlling them; therefore we just let them flow. John Proctor’s flaws were his faith, the belief of his own dignity, and his pride, that eventually put in to death. He is a tragic hero that dies of his own flaw, which brought up our sympathy and our fear of death.
The End.
