Essay on The Crucible: Character of John Proctor

     The Crucible is a camera play by Arthur Miller and john Proctor is its leading character. At the very core of the play are events, which took place in Salem city, Massachusetts in the year 1692. A few women were accused in devil collusion and witchcraft. They, as people said, were bedeviling people and cattle. Women were plead guilty and suffered to death. One of the story quests depicts the process of development in Salem showing also the tragedy of the women who were unable to clear themselves not because of being guilty but because of the judges to be led by absurd prejudice and convictions.

     The play just like all the other well-written plays was shoot a movie of. It happened in the year 1996 with such brilliant actors as Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis starring. There is another one with Richard Armitage as John Proctor. There was a full-scale witch-hunt unfolded. Young Abigail Williams disallowed by her lover John Proctor, blackguarded him and his wife for revenge and then accused all the women of being witches. Court processes have started, which made it to where a half of the city ended up on the scaffold.

     The play is very complicated and its presentation is offbeat and thrilling. Arthur Miller is a genius and just like all the geniuses, a crafty playwright. At first, the audience and critics took The Crucible rather cold. Some people saw accusations of what was happening in the country back then in it, some – even “soviet tunes”.

     As for the story, which inspired the author for the play, the were cases of children to act rather weird as if demon himself settled down within them. They were making strange noises, hiding behind the furniture, their bodies were posturing oddly. They were complaining that they felt as if somebody was stabbing them with a pin and a knife. Hearing the preach, they covered their ears. A local doctor decided it was a witchcraft and the children were asked to show who could have hurt them. They pointed to a servant slave. She was examined telling more and more names. Then, a few more children got sick. There was a big court process and as a result 19 people were hung up, 1 person was crushed with stones and almost 200 people were put into prison. Those who died of age, beatings or cold are left off-screen. The state`s governor confirmed the fact that all those people were not guilty in 2001.

     Now Salem is the city where Halloween lasts all the year around. It is the museum city where a terrible process took place. People try to save the style of XVII century when it comes to houses and streets of the city. Almost all the buildings were turned into museums. People living there in 1692, lived very rigorously. There were work and prayers only. Almost everything was forbidden even children`s toys. Playing, singing, dancing.

     The executions would keep going if one girl did not say that all the accused people were accused calumniously. Basically this is a story about cruel children whose accusations were terrible. What Miller has taken? Almost everything – names, facts and events changing the details though.   

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