Why does Proctor Refuse to Sign the Confession?

Hale's Perspective on the Salem Trials

Hale and Proctor's conflicting beliefs as to what is worth dying for is a prevalent clash that roots in both characters' morals. John Proctor is a well-respected farmer who has a passion for his reputation in the community, and John Hale is a witch hunter who thinks it is absurd John would choose not to save his life for his name. Despite Hale's assertion that giving a false confession to save lives is better than dying defending a principle, ultimately, Proctor chooses to maintain his good name in the community and prove the lies of the girls.

The Power and Prejudice of Judge Danforth

Hale is right, innocent people are dying because they can't fight against the power of the church, and even if judges know they are innocent, they will never free the people arrested because they would look foolish. Mary Warren revealed her testimony stating the girls had been pretending to faint and be afflicted by witches and that there was no witchcraft in Salem. Danforth is a well-respected judge who was brought to Salem for the trial. Danforth stated, "Near to four hundred are in the jails...and upon my signature...and seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature" (54), showing he is proud of the mistreatment and executions and even brags about it. If it is true that he condemned innocent people to die, his career would be ruined, and his judging abilities will not be trusted. Danforth quickly sides with Abigail Williams' testimony to maintain his reputation as a trustworthy, capable judge. He disregards any evidence that differs from what he believes to be true. He is a bitter character who strongly believes that Abigail Williams and the others are incapable of lying. If a Giles Corey or Francis Nurse attempts to defend their wife, Judge Danforth assumes that they are trying to overthrow the court. When Abigail accuses any name of witchcraft, he is the first to try and execute them. Danforth is selfish by neglecting John Proctor's evidence and accusing whoever attempts to defend the other side of trying to overthrow the court.

Proctor Refuses to Sign the Confession

Hale is wrong for reverting from John Proctor's morals when telling him to give a false confession to save his life. John Proctor's life was in the hands of a group of lying girls claiming he had sinned for witchcraft. John Proctor signed his confession proving he was involved with witchcraft, yet came to find out the signed confession would be nailed to the church door. The publicity of the document to free the judges and girls of ridicule was unnecessary to Proctor, and he also did not want his friends to be condemned for his actions, leading him to tear up the confession and maintain his reputation as an honest, proud man. John says, "I speak my own sins, I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it" (131), showing Abigail defeated him but will not join her ranks by hurting others. John Proctor asked himself, "God in heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor" (138). He was questioning if he was considered honest or not when he knew he was uninvolved yet was accused, and no one wanted to believe him. John Proctor could not bear his bad name being posted for the community to see, even though Hale told him to lie and admit to witchcraft.

Die for What He Believes In: Proctor's Final Stand

Proctor has an important name and a reputation in Salem, which would be blackened if he took Hale's advice and admitted to witchcraft. Reputation is crucial to Proctor, and he even says, "Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name" (133)! Proctor says this quote at the end of the play while he is debating whether to confess to witchcraft. Danforth and Hale have almost convinced John to give up his name, but the last straw is his signature on the confession, which proves his obsession with his good name. Proctor's ambition to secure his good name prevents him from testifying against Abigail. Now, he understands that to truly have a good name, he has to tell the truth, not lie, to save himself. Proctor said, "I have given you my soul; leave me my name" (133)! And by defending his name, he musters the courage to die heroically. Salem would no longer see John Proctor as a morally straight person if he listened to Hale, so he made the moral decision to die, maintaining his good name.

In a theocratic society like Salem, where public and private moralities are the same, reputation plays an important role. Hale was looking out for John's well-being by wanting him to lie to save his life, yet Proctor's strong principle of reputation guided him, to tell the truth and die with his good name. At the end of the play, John says, "I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor" (298), implying that after all of the sins he committed, being honest was the sole thing he had done well in his life.

References:

1. Miller, A. (1953). The Crucible. Viking Press.

2. Loewenberg, B. (1967). How History Made the Individual in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Educational Theatre Journal, 19(1), 59-66.

3. Warren, R. (2005). The Fearful Symmetry of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. The Harvard Advocate, 138(1), 41-46.

4. Bigsby, C. W. E. (Ed.). (2005). The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller. Cambridge University Press.

5. Schiff, J. M. (2009). “Because It Is My Name”: The Role of Reputation in The Crucible. In Arthur Miller's America (pp. 59-72). University Press of Mississippi.

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