The Presence of Pride in Arthur Miller's the Crucible

The Presence of Pride in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"

In Miller's "The Crucible" the pride of the people of Salem leads to a massacre of innocent lives. Pride is delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship. One of the main characters, John Proctor, has pride in his beliefs of purifying the Church of England. His wife, Elizabeth, has pride in her ability to use the trials as an ultimate revenge against Abigail Williams. John Hale is the "expert" on witches his pride springs from his extensive knowledge, but later in the play he recants and loses all his respect. Hale is the chemical that cause the conflict to come into full swing between Elizabeth and John Proctor.

Elizabeth Proctor is first founds singing to her children in her kitchen in the opening of act two. This is in contrasts with frenzy at the end of act one. Elizabeth is trying to make her husband turn in Abigail as a witch. She seems sly about it and this exposes her pride. She has pride that she is able to punish Abigail for hurting her. Not this is an unjustifiable pride, but Elizabeth picks on john to do her dirty work to the point John says, "You will not judge me more, ElizabethÐ'....Let you look to your own improvement before you judge your husband anymore"(act 2). The act of the accusation will prove to Elizabeth the affair is over. Elizabeth has a strong sense that she is the only one safe in the issue, for she has done no wrong, who is to accuse her or anything? But Elizabeth's immunity to the trials cause her to get taken to court for owning poppets, which in fact, are owned by her servant, Mary Warren.

John Procter is a strong man, who thrives at the chance to be right and known. But by the end of the play he questions himself saying, "Who is John Proctor, Who is John Proctor?" (act 4). The trials to John Proctor are a time of change. When Reverend Hale enters the town John leaves in disgust, he knows the girls are lying. John's pride springs from his feeling of being smarter then the rest of the town. He was constantly found bickering with Reverend Parris about unnecessary expenses. He is worried to speak at the trials for he would condemn himself as a lecher. His wife has her finger on his button though because after the affair, she uses his guilt so he will promise to accuse Abigail. As soon