What difficulties do John Proctor face in the Crucible?
The Crucible – Arthur Miller John Proctor Character Analysis Proctor’s Problem John Proctor, The Crucible’s protagonist, has some major issues. We can see why. Back in the day, he had everything your average Puritan man could want: a goodly farm to ceaselessly toil upon, three goodly sons to discipline, and a goodly wife with whom to make a home. Proctor was a stand-up guy who spoke his mind. Around town, his name was synonymous with honor and integrity. He took pleasure in exposing hypocrisy and was respected for it. Most importantly, John Proctor respected himself. Enter: Abigail, the play’s antagonist. This saucy, young housekeeper traipsed in, and, before John knew it, his goodly life was irrevocably corrupted. John made the mistake of committing adultery with her. To make things worse, it was also lechery, as Proctor was in his forties and Abigail was just seventeen. All it took was one shameful encounter to destroy John’s most prized possession: his self-respect. When we first me
