The Crucible - Is John Proctor truly a tragic hero?
THE CRUCIBLE “BECAUSE IT IS MY NAME! BECAUSE I CAN NEVER HAVE ANOTHER IN MY LIFE! . . . HOW MAY I LIVE WITHOUT MY NAME? I HAVE GIVEN YOU MY SOUL; LEAVE ME MY NAME! WITH THESE WORDS, JOHN PROCTOR DAMNS HIMSELF TO A DEATH BY HANGING AND THEREBY COMPLETES THE CIRCLE THAT BEGAN WHEN HE KNOWINGLY TOOK ABIGAIL WILLIAMS IN THE HAY IN THE BARN. JOHN PROCTOR HAS ALL OF THE MAKINGS OF A TRAGIC HERO, RIGHT DOWN TO HIS STUBBORN PRIDE. BUT IS JOHN TRULY A TRAGIC HERO? THERE IS AN INTERESTING SENSE THAT COMES FROM A READING OF THE CRUCIBLE. WE CAN SEE THAT ARTHUR MILLER HAD MULTIPLE PURPOSES IN WRITING THE PLAY. TRUE THERE WAS THE ISSUE OF SENATOR JOSEPH MCCARTHY AND THE BETTER DEAD THAN RED CAMPAIGN OF THE 1950’S THAT SAW SO MUCH HURT AND FEAR IN AMERICA, ESPECIALLY IN ENTERTAINMENT CIRCLES -- THOSE CIRCLES THAT MILLER HIMSELF MOVED IN. YES, HE USED THE WITCH TRIALS OF 1619 SALEM AS THE VEHICLE TO SHOW THAT AMERICA HAD NOT COME FAR FROM THAT HYSTERIA WHICH THREATENED THE YOUNG COLONY. THAT SAME HYSTERIA WAS THERE WHEN MCCARTHY CALLED HIS FIRST WITNESS AND TRIED TO SHOW THAT A COMMUNIST LURKED IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY IN AMERICA -- IN GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY, FINANCE AND ENTERTAINMENT. IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO REFUSE TO ACCEPT COMMUNISM YOURSELF, MCCARTHY DID NOT EVEN WANT YOU PERIPHERALLY RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH COMMUNISTS. IF YOU EVEN SPOKE TOA RED, YOU WERE ANTI-AMERICAN. IN CRUCIBLE, MILLER IRONICALLY TAKES A PURITAN SOCIETY IN THE CLUTCHES OF WHAT JOHN PROCTOR SAYS IN ACT 3 IS A FRAUDULENT WHORE THAT HE HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF COPULATING WITH IN THE BARN. BUT BOTH PROCTOR AND AMERICA WERE VICTIMS OF A REPRESSIVE AUTHORITARIANISM DESTROYING ORDER AND USING ITS OWN POWER TO ASSERT ITS VALUES. PROCTOR DESTROYS HIMSELF TO PRESERVE HIS SHATTERED INTEGRITY. CRUCIBLE IS NOT A HISTORY PLAY IN THE SENSE THAT HISTORY IS ACCURATELY PRESENTED IN THE STORY. MILLER NEEDED TO STRETCH THINGS A BIT IN ORDER TO EMPHASISE HIS MAIN POINTS. WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY RECONCILING THE ABIGAIL OF THE PLAY WITH THE REAL 11-14 YEAR OLD CHILD THAT WAS ACTUAL. THERE IS A VAMPIRIC QUALITY TO ABBY THAT BELIES HER AGE. CONSIDER: NOW LOOK YOU. ALL OF YOU. WE DANCED AND TITUBA CONJURED RUTH’S DEAD SISTERS. AND THAT IS ALL. AND MARK THIS. LET EITHER OF YOU BREATHE A WORD . . . AND I WILL COME TO YOU IN THE BLACK OF SOME TERRIBLE NIGHT AND I WILL BRING A POINTY RECKONING THAT WILL SHUDDER
YOU. AND YOU KNOW I CAN DO IT; I SAW INDIANS SMASH MY DEAR PARENTS’ HEADS ON THE PILLOW NEXT TO MINE, AND I HAVE SEEN SOME REDDISH WORK DONE AT NIGHT, AND I CAN MAKE YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER SEEN THE SUN GO DOWN! THESE ARE NOT THE WORDS OF A CHILD, BUT THE CALLOUS WORDS OF SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD. AND TRULY COULD WE BELIEVE THAT ABIGAIL COULD ENGINEER THE WHOLE HYSTERIA AS ONLY AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD? MILLER ALSO REALISES THAT MODERN SOCIETY WOULD BLANCH AT THE IDEA OF A GROWN ...
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YOU. AND YOU KNOW I CAN DO IT; I SAW INDIANS SMASH MY DEAR PARENTS’ HEADS ON THE PILLOW NEXT TO MINE, AND I HAVE SEEN SOME REDDISH WORK DONE AT NIGHT, AND I CAN MAKE YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER SEEN THE SUN GO DOWN! THESE ARE NOT THE WORDS OF A CHILD, BUT THE CALLOUS WORDS OF SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD. AND TRULY COULD WE BELIEVE THAT ABIGAIL COULD ENGINEER THE WHOLE HYSTERIA AS ONLY AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD? MILLER ALSO REALISES THAT MODERN SOCIETY WOULD BLANCH AT THE IDEA OF A GROWN MAN HAVING A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH AN 11 OR 12 YEAR OLD. THEREFORE HE UPS ABIGAIL’S AGE TO 17 OR 18. WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ABBY HAVIONG SUCH AN INFLUENCE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT MILLER IS USING THE ADULTERY TO SHOW THAT THERE IS A GENERAL ULTERIOR MOTIVATION FOR THE WITCH HUNT. LOOK AT THE PUTNAMS. ANN PUTNAM IS A DRIED UP PRUNE OF A WOMAN WHO IS SO SICKLY THAT THE CHILDREN THAT SHE PRODUCES HAVE DIFFICULTY HANGING ON TO LIFE AND THEREBY DIE AT AN EARLY AGE. SHE REFUSES TO SEE THAT IT IS SHE THAT IS THE CAUSE OF THIS AND LOOKS TO A SUPERNATURAL CAUSE OF HER INCAPABLE OFFSPRING. ONLY RUTH WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE.. IT IS ALSO ANN WHO GOADS RUTH TO SEE TITUBA TO CONJURE AND FIND OUT FROM HER DEAD SIBLINGS WHAT CAUSED THEIR DEATH. HER HUSBAND THOMAS IS A LAND GRABBING LIAR WHO WISHES ONLY TO INCREASE HIS HOLDINGS AND CONSEQUENTLY HIS WEALTH BY ACCUSING HIS NEIGHBOURS. GILES SEES THIS AND SAYS : “HE IS KILLING HIS NEIGHBOURS FOR THEIR LAND!” SO WHILE ABBY BELIEVES THAT SHE HAS A WHORE’S PROMISE FROM JOHN AND WISHES TO “DANCE WITH HIM ON HIS WIFE’S GRAVE.” THERE APPEAR TO BE MANY ULTERIOR MOTIVES FOR THE HYSTERIA. MILLER WANTS TO PORTRAY MORE THAN A LOVE TRIANGLE. WE CAN WONDER HOW ABBY CONVINCES THE OTHER GIRLS TO PARTICIPATE IN HER CHARGE TO GET JOHN. BUT THESE OTHER GIRLS ARE FRIGHTENED SILLY BY THE ATTENTION THAT THEY ARE GETTING. PURITAN CHILDREN WERE EXPECTED TO BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD. THEIR EXISTENCE WAS BARELY ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEY WERE MERELY PART OF THE SCENERY, UNLESS THEY WERE GIVEN JOBS TO DO. WHEN GIRLS ACHIEVED AN AGE TO WED, THEY DID. THEY HAD BEEN FARMED OUT TO FAMILIES WITHOUT GIRLS TO LEARN BY DOING HOW TO RUN A HOUSEHOLD. NOW, SUDDENLY, PEOPLE WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO THEM -- TO THEM!! INITIALLY THEY GO ALONG WITH ABBY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRIED OUT ARE THE DREGS OF THE SOCIETY OR OLD FOLKS WHO SHOWED LITTLE REGARD FOR NORMAL CHILDREN. BUT THEN IT GOT SERIOUS AND THE GIRLS WERE IN OVER THEIR HEADS. THEY HAD GONE TOO FAR. SO IN ACT 3 WHEN THE GIRLS FEAR THAT MARY WARREN WILL GIVE THE GAME AWAY, THEY TURN ON HER -- GOADED BY ABBY -- THE SUPERNATURAL BIRD IS MARY’S SPIRIT. MARY MAINTAINS HER INNOCENCE AND THEN TURNS THE BLAME ONTO PROCTOR, FOR IT WAS PROCTOR WHO WAS MOST INFLUENTIAL IN MARY’S ORIGINAL CONFESSION. MILLER CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES HERE THE IRONIC CHAIN REACTION IN WHICH A FALSE ACCUSATION OF POSSESSION TURNS INTO A REAL EVIL POSSESSION OF THE ACCUSERS SINCE THEY CRY OUT KNOWLEDGABLY AGAINST THOSE WHO CHALLENGE THEM. NOW WHERE DO WE PLACE THE JUDGES? THE SALEM JUDGES INSISTED ON CONFORMITY AND BELIEVED THAT THOSE WHO WERE NOT WITH THEM WERE AGAINST THEM. SALEM WAS PART OF A THEOCRACY -- THE COLONY OF MASSACHUSETTS. GOD’S LAW WAS THE STATE LAW AND TO BE A WITCH PUT YOU IN OPPOSITION TO BOTH LAWS. THE JUDGES SAW THEMSELVES AS PRESERVING CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES. MILLER MAKES THE POINT THAT ONCE CONSCIENCE BECOMES PUBLIC RATHER THAN PRIVATE, LEGAL ARGUMENT IS USELESS AND THE ONLY VERDICT CAN BE GUILTY. A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS IS THAT THOSE WHO ACCUSE OTHERS ARE SEEN AS RIGHTEOUS, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THEY ARE TRUTHFUL. PROCTOR ASKS, IS THE ACCUSER ALWAYS HOLY NOW? IT IS A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCUSERS TO COME FORWARD AND THEREFORE BE BELIEVED. SO IT IS EASY FOR UNSCRUPULOUS PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD AND LIE BECAUSE THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THEY ARE BEING TRUTHFUL. REVEREND HALE BEGINS IN THE THIRD ACT TO REALISE THAT THERE MAY BE ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY, THAT THERE IS A QUESTION OF WHICH SIDE IS TRUE AND WHICH A LIE. HE ASKS DANFORTH TO CONSIDER HAVING A SOLICITOR ASSIST PROCTOR IN THE ARGUMENT. DANFORTH REPLIES AND IN HIS REPLY HE DEMONSTRATES THAT HE IS UNWILLING TO HAVE HIS MIND CHANGED. HE HAS DECIDED THAT THE ACCUSED ARE GUILTY AND WILL NOT HAVE ARGUMENTS PUT THAT WILL SWAY HIS DEVOUTLY HELD BELIEFS: MR HALE, BELIEVE ME; FOR A MAN OF SUCH TERRIBLE LEARNING, YOU ARE MOST BEWILDERED. . . . IN AN ORDINARY CRIME, HOW DOES ONE DEFEND THE ACCUSED? ONE CALLS UP WITNESSES TO PROVE HIS INNOCENCE. BUT WITCHCRAFT IS IPSO FACTO AN INVISIBLE CRIME, IS IT NOT? THEREFORE WHO MAY POSSIBLY BE WITNESS TO IT? THE WITCH AND THE VICTIM. NONE OTHER. NOW WE CANNOT HOPE THAT THE WITCH WILL ACCUSE HERSELF. THEREFORE WE MUST RELY ON HER VICTIMS. AS FOR THE WITCHES NONE WILL DENY THAT WE ARE MOST EAGER FOR THEIR CONFESSIONS. THEREFORE WHAT IS LEFT FOR A LAWYER TO BRING OUT? WHAT DANFORTH DOES NOT CONSIDER IS THAT DECEIT IS ALSO AN INVISIBLE CRIME BECAUSE ITS MOTIVATIONS ARE INTERNAL. THE SECOND CONSEQUENCE OF PUBLIC CONSCIENCE IS THAT ONCE ACCUSED, THE VICTIM HAS ONLY TWO CHOICES -- DENY IT AND BE FOUND GUILTY ANYWAY THROUGH TWISTING OF ANSWERS AND MISINTERPRETATION OF COMMENTS OR CONFESS TO WITCHCRAFT [WHICH IS A LIE! AND THEREFORE PUNISHABLE UNDER THE THEOCRACY.] CONSIDER THE TWISTING OF COMMENTS BY MARTHA COREY AND THE INNOCENT COMMENTS ABOUT HER BY HER HUSBAND. NO ONE QUESTIONS WHETHER THE ACCUSATION IS MADE TRUTHFULLY OR NOT. THIS INEVITABLY LEADS US BACK TO THE CORE OF THE PLAY. A CRUCIBLE IS A MELTING-POT USED AT VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES AND AS SUCH IS USED METAPHORICALLY FOR A SEVERE TRIAL OR TEST. THE QUESTION IS TO ASK WHETHER THIS IS A PERSONAL CRISIS OF PROCTOR, A DECISION THAT WILL AID US IN ESTABLISHING WHETHER THE PLAY IS A TRAGEDY. ACT THREE SHOWS HOW ULTERIOR MOTIVES DICTATE THE COURSE OF ACTION. THE PUTNAMS, PARRIS AND THE JUDGES AND FINALLY THE ACCUSING GIRLS. AS I’VE SAID THERE IS A FEAR ON THE PART OF THE GIRLS WHO ARE ALSO GOADED BY ABIGAIL. MILLER SHOWS US THAT SOCIAL RESTRAINTS AND LEGAL AUTHORITY ARE NOT ENOUGH OF A DETERRENT TO INDIVIDUAL MALICE AND THAT AUTHORITY CONTINUES TO TRY AND REPLICATE ITSELF. IN ACT 2 WE SEE HOW REPRESSED JOHN AND ELIZABETH ARE IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. IT’S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE VICIOUS CIRCLES THAT WE GET ENTANGLED IN. PRIDE AND OPPORTUNITY WITH MAYBE A LITTLE DARING AT THE ILLEGALITY OF THE ADULTERY LURE JOHN DOWN THE GARDEN PATH, BUT ELIZABETH SHOWS THAT SHE IS AT LEAST PARTLY GUILTY IN JOHN’S CRIME. SHE DRIVES HIM TO A POSITION WHERE HE MUST REVEAL HIMSELF IN ALL HIS TAWDRINESS AND ADMIT HIS ADULTERY WHICH ELIZABETH PROMPTLY SKIRTS REINFORCING DANFORTH’S BELIEF IN THE GUILT. THROUGHOUT THE FIRST THREE CATS JOHN IS DRIVING HIMSELF TOWARD A CLIMAX THAT HE WILL REGAIN THE HONOUR THAT HE HAS SEEMINGLY LOST. JOHN DELAYS EARLY IN THE PLAY AND BY THE TIME THAT HE IS WILLING TO CHALLENGE ABIGAIL SHE HAS GROWN TOO STRONG FOR HIM. IT IS CURIOUS TO NOTE THAT IN THE CONTEMPORARY FILM, MILLER HAS ADDED A SCENE WHERE ABBY VISITS JOHN IN PRISON AND BEGS FORGIVENESS SAYING THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT TO HURT HIM. ABBY CANNOT ACCEPT THAT THE AFFAIR IS OVER. FACED WITH A WORLD WITHOUT PROCTOR AND A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE SHUN HER, ABIGAIL RUNS AWAY. HER ROLE IN THE PLAY IS OVER -- JOHN HAS TAKEN CONTROL. ACT 4 IS PROCTOR. IT IS ALSO ACT 4 WHERE WE SEE THAT PROCTOR IS INDEED A TRAGIC HERO. HIS STRUGGLE EMBODIES THE BASIC THEME OF THE PLAY. OTHER CHARACTERS DISTRACT THROUGHOUT THE PLAY BUT IN ACT 4 IT BECOMES JOHN, ELIZABETH AND DANFORTH. PROCTOR HAS SEEMINGLY DECIDED TO CONFESS SO THAT HE CAN LIVE. HE IS WILLING TO GIVE THE LIE. AT THE END OF THE THIRD ACT PROCTOR HAS ADMITTED THE ADULTERY AND SAYS I HAVE MADE A BELL OF MY HONOUR! I HAVE RUNG THE DOOM OF MY GOOD NAME! AND WHEN THE GIRLS HAVE TURNED MARY AGAINST HIM AND PROCTOR SEES THE END RESULT OF THEIR DECEPTION. HE SAYS: I SAY GOD IS DEAD! A FIRE, A FIRE IS BURNING! I HEAR THE BOOT OF LUCIFER, I SEE HIS FILTHY FACE! AND IT IS MY FACAE, AND YOURS DANFORTH! FOR THEM THAT QUAIL TO BRING MEN OUT OF IGNORANCE AS I HAVE QUAILED AND AS YOU QUAIL NOW WHEN YOU KNOW IN ALL YOUR BLACK HEARTS THAT THIS IS FRAUD--GOD DAMNS OUR KIND ESPECIALLY AND WE WILL BURN, WE WILL BURN TOGETHER! AT THIS POINT PROCTOR BECOMES ALMOST REGAL, CERTAINLY THE STUFF OF TRAGIC HERO. BUT IN ACT 4 PROCTOR SEEMS TO GO AGAINST HIMSELF. HE ACTUALLY MAKES THE CONSCIOUS DECISION TO DIE RATHER THAN LOSE THE GOODNESS OF HIS NAME. PROCTOR CONFESSES. HE SUBJUGATES HIS PRIDE AND HE MAKES THE DECISION TO LIE, TO BEG FOR HIS LIFE AND TO CONFESS. FOOLISHLY THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR DANFORTH. DANFORTH HAS TO PUSH, NEEDS TO FEEL THAT HE IS IN CONTROL EARLIER HALE HAS TOLD ELIZABETH THAT PERHAPS GOD DAMNS A LIAR LESS THAN HE THAT THROWS HIS LIFE AWAY THROUGH PRIDE. ELIZABETH CALLS THIS THE DEVIL’S ARGUMENT, AND IT IS A VIEWPOINT THAT PROCTOR LOOKS AT, CONSIDERS AND DISMISSES. ELIZABETH WANTS JOHN THERE WITH HER, BUT WILL NOT ASK HIM TO SACRIFICE HIS NEW-FOUND GOODNESS. DANFORTH GETS HIS CONFESSION BUT DEMANDS MORE. HE DEMANDS THAT PROCTOR PERMIT HIS CONFESSION TO HANG IN PUBLIC, A THING THAT PROCTOR IS UNWILLING TO DO. THERE IS A VERBAL TUSSLE OVER THE CONFESSION. PROCTOR BELIES THE STATEMENTS OF THE PREVIOUS ACT AND STATES HIS REASON: BECAUSE IT IS MY NAME! BECAUSE I CAN NOT HAVE ANOTHER IN MY LIFE! HOW MAY I LIVE WITHOUT MY NAME? I HAVE GIVEN YOU MY SOUL -- LEAVE ME MY NAME! DANFORTH, CONTRARY TO ADVICE FROM HALE AND PARRIS PUSHES SO PROCTOR TEARS THE CONFESSION AND ACCEPTS DEATH. WE CAN STILL SEE THIS AS A MANIFESTATION OF THE OLD PROCTOR’S PRIDE BUT WE DO NOT FEEL IT AS DEBILITATING AS FULL ARISTOTELIAN PRIDE[HUBRIS]. IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE THAT PROCTOR IS CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT TO THE PLAY AS A TRAGIC HERO WHOSE SEARCH FOR INTEGRITY ISOLATES HIM FROM A HYSTERICAL SOCIETY. THE ISSUES OF THE PLAY ARE EMBODIED IN PROCTOR AND ARE RESOLVED AT THE END BY ELIZABETH’S STATEMENT HE HAVE HIS GOODNESS NOW. GOD FORBID THAT I TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM.