Theme Of Calamity In The Crucible '

The circumstances an individual goes through in life, are the very factors that play a key role in shaping their temperament. How they choose to react to these situations affects every moral decision they make and directs their future. In his play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller demonstrates that when an individual faces adversity, it forces them to make a choice that will positively develop their identity, which otherwise would remain dormant in prosperous situations. John Proctor, the protagonist, is an independent and respectable farmer in a struggling marriage because he was unfaithful to his wife. Unfortunately, this mistake haunts him when he tries to distance himself from his past lover, who grows uncontrollably envious. This causes the …show more content…
When John realizes that his ill fortune is mainly self inflicted, he obtains fresh remorse and attempts to emancipate himself by revealing the actuality behind the witch trials to Salem. Although his wife is free from execution, John decides to risk his own safety to help his friends, even though he knows he will have to reveal the affair because the court “melts down all concealment”. Hence, when the judges turn down all other evidence, John allows their tribulations to define a benevolent attitude in him and sacrifices his name, making “a bell of his honour” with guilt spurring him on. As his disastrous situation spirals out of control, others begin to flee from the truth to the safety found in lies. However, John continues to persevere, refusing to add more shame to his list of sins. The irony of his choices emphasizes the hopelessness of his circumstance and refusal to capitulate, moulding his character. John comprehends that no amount of deception is justifiable and puts all his effort into “[bringing] men out of ignorance”. In the face of punishment for honesty, John obliges his afflictions to forge within him a genuine and selfless nature even though this ultimately leads to his failure because of Salem’s twisted view of the truth. John’s choices reflect this new character as he immolates his good reputation for truth, no matter how fruitless it is in his