2-18-14
The Crucible Act 2 Entry
Proctor's conflict is the conflict of a man who wants to believe he is good inside and yet has committed an egregious sin in his society. While he tries to judge things on a rational basis, he has betrayed his wife and now is caught up in small lies about Abby and his meeting with her. He does not believe that the craziness that is affecting Salem would go so far; yet, by the time he actually convinces Mary Warren to talk about Abby's lies, the craziness has gone so far that nothing can be done. He disdains men like Parris and sees Putnam for the land grabbing man that he truly is. Proctor was by no means an innocent, but he was honorable. He made a mistake, and he'd committed adultery. He walked away from that and attempted to fix the problems within his marriage None the less, he was guilty of breaking his marriage vows Publicly, and Proctor is well liked and respected. His secret is safe at least until Abigail decides she wants him more than anything else and is willing to see his wife burned to have him. He tries to get the girls to fess up but is unsuccessful, he refuses to denounce friends and the people he loves in order to obtain his own freedom, and he chooses to die rather than to have any part in the destruction of those around him. Proctor values the honor of others just as he values his own, and he dies because he is good and honorable in both his private and public persona. The consequences of shirking