Crucible Essay: Topic #1

Redemption

When one commits a sin or hurts another person, it is a human instinct to seek forgiveness and lift that burden, only being able to imagine the pain that was caused. If it is not lifted, then it weighs a person down, shadowing or tainting the goodness behind the soul that committed the sin. Thus, it is crucial for one to be forgiven. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor seeks the forgiveness that he hopes to clear his blemished soul and lift the burden of his lingering sin. In search for his redemption, John Proctor made numerous mistakes, but in the end, realized what he was looking for was always above him.
John Proctor committed adultery with Abigail. He sinned against his wife, breaking one of the Ten Commandments. Proctor knew what he did was unacceptable and confessed his wrongdoings to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was heartbroken, and the only thing Proctor could do was make the effort to show how much he cared for her. He ended up in frustration when Elizabeth did not cede in forgiving him: “I […] must have mistaken you for God that day. But you’re not, you’re not. […] Let you look for the goodness in me, and judge me not” (Miller 55). Proctor wanted Elizabeth to forgive him and forget the sin he committed, and for her to simply appreciate the goodness he had in telling her about his lechery. Proctor realized it would not be easy to seek the forgiveness he longed for. There had to be another way.
When Proctor was accused of witchcraft, he went to court defending himself, trying to prove he was a good man. After seeing his friends being accused, Proctor put aside his pride for the good of others. Unfortunately, Proctor stopped having faith in God because he saw the court, which was known to carry out “God’s law” (129), force innocent people to confess to sins they did not commit. John saw that the court did not hold fair judgment, even though it represented a form of authority. He concluded that even the court was not able to wash away his sins.
Proctor wanted his life back and his sins gone, but was running out of options to get rid of his pain. The only way Proctor believed it would be cleansed was if he confessed to a sin he did not commit. Proctor was ready to sign the paper, but it was not until he saw Rebecca Nurse that he realized the mistake he was making. By signing the paper, he was freeing himself, but condemning hundreds of Christians that believed in him. If he did not sign, he would be joining an illustrious group of Christian martyrs. After Proctor signed his name, he could not look at the paper without knowing he had just signed his name to a lie: “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! […] I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (143). Proctor realized he did not need to prove himself to anybody because “a man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything” (110). Only God would know how sorry Proctor was, and only God knew what Proctor really felt inside. Proctor ripped the paper and knew he would find goodness in God’s kingdom. Thus, he found redemption putting his pride aside.
In the beginning of the play, Proctor is unable to be redeemed because he is following a misguided path to find forgiveness. He seeks for forgiveness in others, rather than understanding that God judges us based on our moral intentions, whereas others only see the actions that are performed. Arthur Miller introduces Proctor as a man who allowed his temptation get the best of him, and expects immediate acceptance of his apology from his wife. Proctor comes off as a demanding husband, making the audience feel sympathy towards his wife, because the man she loved committed adultery. The audience does not warm up to Proctor until later in the play because his pride and frustration taint the good human being that develops in the end of the play. Proctor kept trying to prove himself to others because he was filled with pride, but in the end, he realized he did not need to prove himself to anybody but God.
The key shift that brings Proctor to this decision is when Rebecca Nurse sees him about to sign the confession. Proctor looks up into the gentle eyes of the elderly woman and has a revelation when she says: “Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself?” (140). Rebecca Nurse was not going to allow the authority on earth to give her an illusion of redemption by forcing her to confess to a sin she did not commit.
John Proctor died a martyr. He was the voice of the true Christians that refused to lie in order to save themselves, having faith in God and knowing He would be there to save them in His kingdom. Proctor gave hope to many people. He put aside his pride and selfish desires for the good of others. From being self-centered, he became selfless, and embodied Christianity. He overcame the temptation to sign the confession and keep his life. Seeing Rebecca Nurse refuse her last chance to live, made him realize what a huge mistake he was making. Proctor’s experience with temptation represents things people face today. We overcome our temptations by standing by our faith. As much as one may want something, there is self- control within us. It is our free will to choose whether we want to give into a desire.
The reason for Proctor’s redemption was because he allowed his temptation to get the best of him. Through the characters’ situations, Arthur Miller creates a parallel between the issues each character faced and issues that are faced among society today. A girlfriend is heartbroken when she finds her boyfriend was with another girl or a boy made the wrong decision to smoke because everybody else was doing it. Each character in the play can be related to if they are taken out of context. Miller took some of the deadly sins that boil up inside every human being and blew it up into a story of pride, greed, and envy.