Howothersareseen

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Alex Ceja

Mr. Jefferson: P.4

English 3P

10 May 2017

How Others Are Seen


The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a playwright about the Salem Witch Trials which

occurs when innocent people are accused of witchcraft. Many people are accused and hung when

they would not confess. A variety of individuals in the play are concerned with their reputation to

another specific person or with a group of people such as Reverend Parris, John Proctor, and

Reverend Hale.

Reverend Parris is held up very high as he is a minister in Salem and he does whatever he

must to keep his reputation and his good name. In Act One, Reverend Parris finds his daughter

and his niece, Abigail, dancing in the woods, conjuring spirits. He is afraid that people will find

out that the daughter and niece of a minister were siding with the devil and ruin Parriss name.

Parris demonstrates his worry:

Reverend Parris: Now look you, child, your punishment will come in time but if you

trafficked with some spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and

they will ruin me with it.

Parris knows he has enemies that would ruin his good name and if his enemies find out about his

daughter and niece, they could lay waste to his reputation in Salem. Parris is upset with the girls,

not because they were conjuring spirits but someone could find out they were conjuring spirits

such as those who despise of Parris, that would ruin his reputation at any chance possible.

Additionally, Parris also has a reputation for accusing people of being witches and truly
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believing it. In Act Three, the court is discussing who is actually a witch and who is not. Parris

accuses many people of being a witch. Though, there are others who doubt his accusations.

Parris is fearful that the people accused for witchcraft are, in reality, not witches, deeming him

unreliable and a liar. In order to make his accusation sound reasonable, he tries to convince the

People of the court by saying good people are okay with the cords and accusations. Parris

expresses his views:

Reverend Parris: All innocent and Christian people are happy for the courts in Salem.

Parris tries to demonstrate that pure people are happy that the courts exist. This is Parriss way of

trying to convince the townspeople that anyone against the courts are witches because if the

people realize the courts are defective and the accusations are false, everyone would know that

Parris is a liar and untrustworthy, ruining his reputation. Parris cares more about reputation in the

town than the truth. Along with Parris, John Proctor also cares about his reputation.

John Proctor is trying to uphold his reputation, not to the town or as a good Christian, but

to his wife and to what he values and believes is right. John Proctor is telling the court about

Abigail and the girls lying about the witchcraft. He knows they're lying so he tries to exploit

Abigail so his wife could be set free and to prove he loves her and not Abigail, giving up his

good name in the process. In Act Three, John Proctor is trying to prove to the court that Abigail

is a liar and a sinner by telling the court:

John Proctor: I have known her, sir. I have known her.

John Proctor is telling the people of the court what he and Abigail have done. He's giving up is

good name to show that Abigail is a sinner so that the court may see that Abigail is a liar so that

the accusations of Goody Proctor may be dropped, saving her life. Additionally, John Proctor

also hold his reputation for what he knows is right. John Proctor knows that witches are not real
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and by confessing, he is supporting the fact that witches do exist. He knows he is innocent and

hangs for it instead of confessing and giving up is good name. In Act Four, Proctor signs his

name to a confession and proceeds to rip up the paper stating:

John Proctor: Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because

I'd lie and send myself to lies.

He doesn't want to sign his name because he knows he is signing a lie. He wants to keep his

reputation, his values, and what he knows is right and if he signs to a lie, his good name will be

ruined. John Proctor wants to keep his reputation just as well as Reverend Hale keeping his.

Reverend Hale tries to keep his reputation as a practiced minister and goes to Salem to

get rid of the witches. Reverend Hale is seen as the savior of Salem by getting rid of the witches

and interrogates the townspeople to see if any of them have any affiliation with the Devil in order

to arrest them and put them on trial for their crimes. In Act Two, Reverend Hale is talking to

Goody Proctor and is shocked to hear she is going against the gospel by stating:

Reverend Hale: You surely do not fly against gospel, the gospel.

He has reason to believe the Proctors might have some affiliation with the Devil. He is sent to

see them to get rid of the witches and he has to uphold his task so he does what he must in order

to keep his name good and as a result goody Proctor is arrested. He knows as a minister, he must

be just, and he realizes that he is wrongfully accusing the people in the town. In Act three, he

portrays the defense attorney in the court trying to defend the people that he accused shown by:

Reverend Hale: But it does not follow that everyone accused is a part of it.

He tries to make sense of the situation and to show that not everyone accused is a witch. He

wanted to uphold his reputation but realizes that he was wrongfully putting people in jail to be

hung and was wrong for putting his reputation above the truth.
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The Crucible depicts characters such as Reverend Parris, John Proctor, and Reverend

Hale that show the importance of reputation and what it means to them. Some such as Reverend

Parris care more about reputation and how they are seen by others. While John Proctor and

Reverend Hale care more about the truth then a good name. Reputation is seen as one of the most

important things and do whatever one must to uphold it.

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