In Act III of the play, John Proctor decides to tell the court about his past affair with Abigail Williams. He does this because he tries to convince the Judges that Abigail in fact not to be trusted as a source of accusation. He enlightens the judges of this newfound info in hopes that they will free his wife from imprisonment. Proctor willingly risks his own freedom for his wife’s safety by sharing his dark past and sacrificing his good name and reputation. He Elizabeth that he will “‘fall like an ocean in the court’” (204), rightfully doing so as he, again, risked his own freedom for the sake of his wife’s. John makes a second attempt at sacrificing himself at the end of the play. However, this time, it is for the sake of his family surname. At the end of Act IV of The Crucible, John rips up the document that states his confession as a witch. John believed that if he were to lie and confess, his reputation would plummet as everybody in Salem would think of him as a partner with the devil. Therefore, John sacrifices himself in order to protect his name, telling Judge Danforth “‘I have given you my soul; Leave me my name!’” (239). John also refuses to name any other people as witches before he dies, saving them from also being arrested and potentially …show more content…
In Act III of the play, John tries to tell the truth to Judge Danforth by making Mary Warren testify, explaining that the young girls are just pretending to see spirits and that no witchcraft is actually present. Danforth suspects John and asks him if he has “‘any desire to undermine this court?’” (210). Presuming that John as negative motives. Fortunately, the protagonist that is John Proctor says no. John only wants the judges to see the whole situation clearly and see the truth that is behind Abigail’s lies, hopefully saving his wife in the process. When Mary Warren’s testimony fails, John Takes a different approach and reveals his past affair with Abigail to prove that her actions are that of a vengeful being. John describes the situation, saying that “‘A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you sir, I beg you—see her what she is… It is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it now’” (220). John tries to make Danforth realize Abigail's true motivation, jealousy, and desire. This is John’s attempt to spread the truth to the authorities of