Use the following line from Act Four of The Crucible. Explain what is happening when the character says this line and what he means. Begin your paragraph:

Question

In Act Four of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, John Proctor says,…

p. 136: JOHN PROCTOR: I cannot mount the gibbet (gallows) like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man. My honest is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled giving them this lie that we not rotten long before.”

Answer 1

In Act Four of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, John Proctor says, “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man. My honest is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled giving them this lie that we not rotten long before.” At this moment, Proctor grapples with his guilt and moral integrity as he faces execution for a crime he did not commit. He recognizes that his past actions, including his infidelity, have tarnished his sense of self-worth, leading him to reject the idea of dying heroically. Proctor’s declaration suggests a profound internal conflict; he feels that presenting himself as a martyr would be dishonest, as he believes he has already compromised his integrity. His admission to Elizabeth reveals his despair and the belief that he has lost his chance for redemption. This moment encapsulates Proctor's struggle between the desire to be free and the weight of his conscience, highlighting the theme of personal integrity versus societal expectations in a time of hysteria.