Post by The Thought Police (admin) on Apr 17, 2013 12:45:46 GMT -5
Notes
The Crucible Podcast
Summary of the Stages of Proctor’s Redemption
Theme of Integrity and Power Essay
Proctor’s integrity is brought into question at the very start of the play
• He lives in a society where integrity is everything and provides people with power. Proctor has power among the people and his voice is listened to. “We vote by name in this society not by acreage.”
• What does he mean by this?
• But we learn at this point that Proctor has had an affair
• Therefore, his name would be sullied if the town found out and he would not have any power.
• Proctor rejects Abigail’s flirtatious advances, but does so in way that shows he still has feelings for her.
• Characterises him as a man who gives in to temptations, but who is trying to put things right
• Our impression is of a character who could potentially be powerful, but there is an undercurrent of dishonesty there that is holding him back.
The witch trials highlight the flaws in the human nature of the other townsfolk. The ‘crucible’ of the witch trials establishes the impurities of the characters. They are in many ways more lacking in integrity than Proctor and feel far less guilt about their sins. Abigail Williams is perhaps the character with least integrity as it is through her actions that many innocent characters are accused as witches and hang in the town’s gallows. She initially does this as a way of holding power over a town that she has come to scorn, partly through Proctor’s own actions as he ‘put knowledge in her heart’. Yet, her motivations soon become much more selfish as she accuses Elizabeth Proctor of ‘sending out her spirit’ and plants the evidence of the voodoo poppet in the Proctor’s household. This is all in the hope that she may kill Elizabeth and in Proctor’s words: “She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave.’ Abigail’s lack of honesty and use of hysteria gives the entire town the test of integrity as they too spot the opportunities to cry witch against their neighbour in the hope that they too may make personal gains. The town’s richest man, Mr Putnam uses the town’s hysteria as an excuse to start crying witch on his neighbours in order to gain more wealth, something Giles is unable to prove in court, due to his own integrity as he is unwilling to risk the life of his witness. Rev Parris, the town’s minister, is equally lacking in integrity as he is reluctant to tell the truth about his niece Abigail’s involvement as he fears that this will ruin his own reputation and he will lose his power in Salem.
Therefore, the play becomes the test of the protagonist John Proctor’s integrity as he is tested.
Proctor’s key dilemma is that he stands to lose everything by admitting to the court that he had an affair with Abigail and that she is now selfishly pursuing her vengeance on him for ending their relationship. This would mean the end of Proctor’s reputation. Therefore, he initially avoids the confrontation in court and delays. This sparks conflict with his wife as she perceives the real issue.
Elizabeth understands Proctor is unwilling to go to court to ‘hurt Abigail’. She therefore tries to make this clear to him. Yet, Proctor’s great shame at his affair and lack of integrity causes him to turn on her with anger.
Proctor: Elizabeth your justice would freeze beer
While Elizabeth again repeats the real reason for Proctor’s anger.
Elizabeth: It is not me who judges you. It is the magistrate that sits in your heart that judges you.
This battle within himself is at the heart of Proctor’s struggle with his own integrity. He cannot see the good in himself given that he betrayed Elizabeth initially and therefore, he lacks the strength to stand for his convictions and go to the court. It is significant that when he does go to the court, he tries every other legal method before actually revealing his lack of integrity. He uses Giles’ testimony and that of Marry Warren, who has the ability to again prove Abigail a liar, yet she gives up her integrity under the power of Abigail’s anger and hysteria. At this point Proctor’s words of ‘God damns all liars’ have significance. Not only because Mary Warren is damning herself by lying, but that Proctor himself is stuggling with his own honesty and will struggle with it again before the end of the play. When all other options have failed, only then does Proctor weaken himself to save his wife.
"how do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!" – John’s outburst when Abigail pretends to see Mary’s spirit trying to attack her. He now has no choice but to confess. His reluctance shows his wrestling with the loss of his reputation and sense of shame at confessing.
"[trembling, his life collapsing about him] I have known her, sir. I have known her." - shows Proctor’s shame and the consequences for him – he will never regain the life and position he once had. Confident and powerful no more.
"God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat." – Earlier he denied to E that there was any such “promise”. Here we see him facing up to the consequences of his behaviour.
"I have made a bell of my honour! I have rung the doom of my good name." – Proctor’s sacrifice of his reputation by making such a public confession. Just as a bell makes a loud noise, everyone in the town has heard of his sins.
Proctor and Giles are therefore the only two in the town who have used their honesty, their integrity in the court room and have risked all for the truth. Both men’s courage at this point is exemplary.
The court room scene is one of Proctor's most heroic moments in the play.
Context - he has gone to court to save his wife from the gallows and potentially save the others in Salem too. He has brought Giles's evidence that discredits Putnam and he has brought Mary Warren to testify that the girls' claim of witchcraft was all just 'sport'. Neither of these two pieces of 'evidence' was successful in persuading Danforth, therefore Proctor has no choice but to use his own evidence that will seriously discredit himself and weaken his reputation and power in the community: declaring that he had an affair with Abigail and that the whole witchtrials were brought about merely ouf of 'a whore's vengeance'.
Analysis:
Proctor sacrifices the thing most precious to him in order to save Elizabeth - his name. In Salem, a theocracy, Christian character is everything. By saying 'I have known her', Proctor is immediately destroying his reputation in the town in order to save his wife. He understands this when he says, 'What man may cast away his good name?'. It is ironic that Abigail defends her own 'name', saying 'there be no blush about my name', yet she is entirely responsible for the deceit, lies and hangings, while Proctor confesses his affair and therefore takes an important step towards being redeemed. Furthermore, this act of bravery also aids to his understanding of himself as a just man who takes a stand for the truth and justice.
This also marks a healing in the relationship between Proctor and Elizabeth as both make sacrifices for the other. While Proctor has given his reputation to save her, Elizabeth also breaks one of the Ten Commandments to save him. She lies in court saying that she did not see Proctor 'turn from her', meaning she did not suspect him of having had an affair. Yet, she knew that he'd had the affair and was lying to help save his reputation. For Elizabeth to lie took an enormous effort. Throughout the play she is known as the woman that cannot lie as she is a 'covenanted woman' and religion is her life. So due to their mutual sacrifices, the two are able to later share a passionate kiss.
2) Yet, despite his bravery, Proctor is not fully redeemed until he makes the choice to actually die for his integrity. He is still struggling with his conscience and guilt as he does not believe he is a good man. He compares himself to the others who are going to the gallows, refusing to lie to save themselves. He sees them as 'saints' and says, 'I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint; for me it is fraud.' He believes that the others are purer and somehow better than he is and cannot bring himself to take the final stand as he thinks it would paint him as a pure and innocent figure. Therefore, he is prepared to sign a confession that says he conspired with the devil. However, this is not enough for the court and they want to pin his confession publicly to the church door. This is a step too far and he has one last final battle with his conscience before tearing his confession. He does so because it would forever ruin his reputation. He screams:
(with a cry from his soul) 'Because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in this life. You have taken my soul, leave me my name.'
It goes to the very heart of Proctor's sense of who he is. He understands that his reputation as an honest man who stands up for his view of right and wrong and who has to teach his sons 'to walk like men in the world' is more important to him than life itself. He therefore rips up his confession and is able to 'stand erect', proud of who he is and proud that he did not lend the trial any credibility by signing a confession. He is even able to say, 'I see some goodness in John Proctor'. This final act of defiance is Proctor's last stage in his redemption.
Read more: falkirklanguages.proboards.com/thread/75/proctors-redemption#ixzz2Q465FoCV
The final test of Proctor’s integrity comes when he is given the chance to sign a confession in order to save his life.
The Crucible Podcast
Summary of the Stages of Proctor’s Redemption
Theme of Integrity and Power Essay
Proctor’s integrity is brought into question at the very start of the play
• He lives in a society where integrity is everything and provides people with power. Proctor has power among the people and his voice is listened to. “We vote by name in this society not by acreage.”
• What does he mean by this?
• But we learn at this point that Proctor has had an affair
• Therefore, his name would be sullied if the town found out and he would not have any power.
• Proctor rejects Abigail’s flirtatious advances, but does so in way that shows he still has feelings for her.
• Characterises him as a man who gives in to temptations, but who is trying to put things right
• Our impression is of a character who could potentially be powerful, but there is an undercurrent of dishonesty there that is holding him back.
The witch trials highlight the flaws in the human nature of the other townsfolk. The ‘crucible’ of the witch trials establishes the impurities of the characters. They are in many ways more lacking in integrity than Proctor and feel far less guilt about their sins. Abigail Williams is perhaps the character with least integrity as it is through her actions that many innocent characters are accused as witches and hang in the town’s gallows. She initially does this as a way of holding power over a town that she has come to scorn, partly through Proctor’s own actions as he ‘put knowledge in her heart’. Yet, her motivations soon become much more selfish as she accuses Elizabeth Proctor of ‘sending out her spirit’ and plants the evidence of the voodoo poppet in the Proctor’s household. This is all in the hope that she may kill Elizabeth and in Proctor’s words: “She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave.’ Abigail’s lack of honesty and use of hysteria gives the entire town the test of integrity as they too spot the opportunities to cry witch against their neighbour in the hope that they too may make personal gains. The town’s richest man, Mr Putnam uses the town’s hysteria as an excuse to start crying witch on his neighbours in order to gain more wealth, something Giles is unable to prove in court, due to his own integrity as he is unwilling to risk the life of his witness. Rev Parris, the town’s minister, is equally lacking in integrity as he is reluctant to tell the truth about his niece Abigail’s involvement as he fears that this will ruin his own reputation and he will lose his power in Salem.
Therefore, the play becomes the test of the protagonist John Proctor’s integrity as he is tested.
Proctor’s key dilemma is that he stands to lose everything by admitting to the court that he had an affair with Abigail and that she is now selfishly pursuing her vengeance on him for ending their relationship. This would mean the end of Proctor’s reputation. Therefore, he initially avoids the confrontation in court and delays. This sparks conflict with his wife as she perceives the real issue.
Elizabeth understands Proctor is unwilling to go to court to ‘hurt Abigail’. She therefore tries to make this clear to him. Yet, Proctor’s great shame at his affair and lack of integrity causes him to turn on her with anger.
Proctor: Elizabeth your justice would freeze beer
While Elizabeth again repeats the real reason for Proctor’s anger.
Elizabeth: It is not me who judges you. It is the magistrate that sits in your heart that judges you.
This battle within himself is at the heart of Proctor’s struggle with his own integrity. He cannot see the good in himself given that he betrayed Elizabeth initially and therefore, he lacks the strength to stand for his convictions and go to the court. It is significant that when he does go to the court, he tries every other legal method before actually revealing his lack of integrity. He uses Giles’ testimony and that of Marry Warren, who has the ability to again prove Abigail a liar, yet she gives up her integrity under the power of Abigail’s anger and hysteria. At this point Proctor’s words of ‘God damns all liars’ have significance. Not only because Mary Warren is damning herself by lying, but that Proctor himself is stuggling with his own honesty and will struggle with it again before the end of the play. When all other options have failed, only then does Proctor weaken himself to save his wife.
"how do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!" – John’s outburst when Abigail pretends to see Mary’s spirit trying to attack her. He now has no choice but to confess. His reluctance shows his wrestling with the loss of his reputation and sense of shame at confessing.
"[trembling, his life collapsing about him] I have known her, sir. I have known her." - shows Proctor’s shame and the consequences for him – he will never regain the life and position he once had. Confident and powerful no more.
"God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat." – Earlier he denied to E that there was any such “promise”. Here we see him facing up to the consequences of his behaviour.
"I have made a bell of my honour! I have rung the doom of my good name." – Proctor’s sacrifice of his reputation by making such a public confession. Just as a bell makes a loud noise, everyone in the town has heard of his sins.
Proctor and Giles are therefore the only two in the town who have used their honesty, their integrity in the court room and have risked all for the truth. Both men’s courage at this point is exemplary.
The court room scene is one of Proctor's most heroic moments in the play.
Context - he has gone to court to save his wife from the gallows and potentially save the others in Salem too. He has brought Giles's evidence that discredits Putnam and he has brought Mary Warren to testify that the girls' claim of witchcraft was all just 'sport'. Neither of these two pieces of 'evidence' was successful in persuading Danforth, therefore Proctor has no choice but to use his own evidence that will seriously discredit himself and weaken his reputation and power in the community: declaring that he had an affair with Abigail and that the whole witchtrials were brought about merely ouf of 'a whore's vengeance'.
Analysis:
Proctor sacrifices the thing most precious to him in order to save Elizabeth - his name. In Salem, a theocracy, Christian character is everything. By saying 'I have known her', Proctor is immediately destroying his reputation in the town in order to save his wife. He understands this when he says, 'What man may cast away his good name?'. It is ironic that Abigail defends her own 'name', saying 'there be no blush about my name', yet she is entirely responsible for the deceit, lies and hangings, while Proctor confesses his affair and therefore takes an important step towards being redeemed. Furthermore, this act of bravery also aids to his understanding of himself as a just man who takes a stand for the truth and justice.
This also marks a healing in the relationship between Proctor and Elizabeth as both make sacrifices for the other. While Proctor has given his reputation to save her, Elizabeth also breaks one of the Ten Commandments to save him. She lies in court saying that she did not see Proctor 'turn from her', meaning she did not suspect him of having had an affair. Yet, she knew that he'd had the affair and was lying to help save his reputation. For Elizabeth to lie took an enormous effort. Throughout the play she is known as the woman that cannot lie as she is a 'covenanted woman' and religion is her life. So due to their mutual sacrifices, the two are able to later share a passionate kiss.
2) Yet, despite his bravery, Proctor is not fully redeemed until he makes the choice to actually die for his integrity. He is still struggling with his conscience and guilt as he does not believe he is a good man. He compares himself to the others who are going to the gallows, refusing to lie to save themselves. He sees them as 'saints' and says, 'I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint; for me it is fraud.' He believes that the others are purer and somehow better than he is and cannot bring himself to take the final stand as he thinks it would paint him as a pure and innocent figure. Therefore, he is prepared to sign a confession that says he conspired with the devil. However, this is not enough for the court and they want to pin his confession publicly to the church door. This is a step too far and he has one last final battle with his conscience before tearing his confession. He does so because it would forever ruin his reputation. He screams:
(with a cry from his soul) 'Because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in this life. You have taken my soul, leave me my name.'
It goes to the very heart of Proctor's sense of who he is. He understands that his reputation as an honest man who stands up for his view of right and wrong and who has to teach his sons 'to walk like men in the world' is more important to him than life itself. He therefore rips up his confession and is able to 'stand erect', proud of who he is and proud that he did not lend the trial any credibility by signing a confession. He is even able to say, 'I see some goodness in John Proctor'. This final act of defiance is Proctor's last stage in his redemption.
Read more: falkirklanguages.proboards.com/thread/75/proctors-redemption#ixzz2Q465FoCV
The final test of Proctor’s integrity comes when he is given the chance to sign a confession in order to save his life.