Howothersareseen
Howothersareseen
Howothersareseen
Alex Ceja
English 3P
10 May 2017
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.
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
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
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
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
John Proctor: Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because
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