John Proctor: Sin and Forgiveness
The guilt that came from committing a sin in a Puritan society because of their belief in pre-destination would be enough to cause such internal conflict that one would question the destiny of their eternal soul. Second chances did not exist for such sinners in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, during the witch trials. One character, John Proctor, a well-respected farmer in the town, has secrets that ruin his Christian life and make him feel that his honesty is broken. He strongly believes in God and feels regretful about his sins. John Proctor struggles with his choices that cause him his internal conflict about his affair with Abigail Williams and his loss of faith, along with whether or not he is worthy of being a martyr.
In the beginning, the author shows how the character John Proctor feels tremendously guilty about his affair with Abigail Williams and how his internal conflict profoundly afflicts him. When the play starts, it has been seven months since their affair. Abigail lived in his home with his wife, Elizabeth, and their children. Abigail helped take care of the children and they had their affair while Elizabeth was recovering from an illness after childbirth. Proctor doesn't want Abigail to think he still wants to be with her. In Act I, he tells Abigail, "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby" (Miller, 1246). Proctor doesn't want to make the same mistake with Abigail again. He wants to put it all behind him and he knows what they did was sinful. This statement shows he wants to try to regain his wife's trust because he is extremely regretful about the sin he has committed. Although Proctor made a huge mistake and feels awful about it, it is apparent that he will struggle with his fault for the rest of his life. His internal conflict...