Question

In the play, "The Crucible", which of the Ten Commandments does John Proctor struggle to remember? Why might this be?

Answer 1

He cannot remember the commandment against adultery ("Thou shalt not commit adultery"). This occurs when Hale quizzes Proctor on the Ten Commandments (Act II). The reason is dramatic and psychological: Proctor has slept with Abigail Williams and is ashamed and guilty, so he cannot bring himself to speak that particular sin aloud. Miller uses the lapse to reveal Proctor’s inner guilt, to undercut his religious credibility in the eyes of the court, and to foreshadow his moral struggle and eventual confession.