The Crucible

Avila 1

Pride in The Crucible

Many people would never consider pride as to being a sin, however the Catholic Church considers pride to be a sin because pride is about "me", "myself" and "I", they only worry about themselves and no one else. Although people might not believe it, today's society is filled with pride; from being proud of your heritage to being proud of your sexuality, pride is all around. However, the Catholic Church believes that pride is the foremost among the seven deadly sins because all a prideful person thinks only of himself, and that is the exact opposite of what the Catholic Church teaches. The Catholic Church wants them to forget about themselves and go out and help others. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Reverend Hale, Elizabeth and John Proctor all have a great deal of pride which in each case eventually decided their fate.

Some examples of pride in The Crucible are portrayed through Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctors wife. Pride eventually interfered with her decision making; an example of this is when they bring her into the court to be questioned about her husband. When she is asked about her husband and Abigail Williams, she thinks that she needs to cover for her

husband's affair, and tells the first lie of her life. Elizabeth also has pride when she is told that her husband is sentenced to be hanged that day. Unlike most women she does not cry; another symbol of pride. Elizabeth also demonstrates pride when she refuses to make

Avila 2

her husband John Proctor confess because he would rather die than tell a lie. Lastly when she would rather be arrested than lie about being a witch "I'll go John" (Miller 77) by saying this she is almost implicating that she is too proud of her name to lie about something like witchcraft.

A character that the reader would not expect to demonstrate the sin of pride is Reverend Hale. Although Reverend Hale is a minister, he demonstrates the sin of pride from the moment he first arrives in Salem, Massachusetts and needs help unloading all of his books. This symbolizes that he is a very educated man, normally this would not be considered a sin, but it is what he replied as Reverend Parris was helping him with the books, he said "They must be; they are weighted with authority."(Miller36) this shows that he thinks that he is better than other people simply because he has more knowledge. Another example of his pride is when he gives his speech on incubi and succubi at Betty's bed side

...Here are all your familiar spirits-your incubi and succubi; your witches that go by land, by air, and by sea; your wizards of the night and of the day. Have no fear now we shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown is face!(Miller 39).

Also when he says "Ah! The stoppage of prayer" (Miler 41) here he is establishing himself as the expert. The final example of Reverend Hale's pride is toward the end of

the book when he comes back to Salem to try to get the people that were condemned to die to convert, I believe that he did this because he felt guilty and by making them

Avila 3

confess he would feel better, To his dismay may of them would not lie to save their own lives.

The Final and most important character that demonstrates pride in the Crucible is John Proctor. John Proctor's fate is eventually decided by his pride, and not just at the end of the Crucible but