Shocker: Another Lousy Male Character Takes Credit for Female Courage

Literary reviews time and time again regard John Proctor as some sort of martyr, praising him for refusing to sign his name away as a lie when Hale begged him to confess. Supposedly this is meant to be the ultimate judge of character, deeming him as someone honest and strongly rooted in his faith and moral code. He is said to be courageous and heroic for standing against the crowd and refusing to yield.
It seems to me that these literary reviews have forgotten the
events that led up to that scene. Considering the entirety of the play, I would
vehemently argue that Elizabeth and Rebecca are truly the ones who should be
idolized. In efforts to clarify why exactly John Proctor is lesser than his
female counterparts in every aspect of altruism, I have provided some of the
highlights of these characters as they revealed their true nature throughout
the play.

John Proctor	Elizabeth Proctor	Rebecca Nurse
1.Cheated on his wife 2.Regretted telling Elizabeth the truth about his affair 3.Didn’t want to accuse Abby of lying out of fear 4.Forced Mary Warren into testifying against the girls, which makes him a hypocrite 5.Was explosive and disrespectful in court 6.Scolded his wife for protecting him from the consequences of his own actions 7.Was willing to lie in God’s name in order to save his life 8.Begged Elizabeth to make a decision for him 9.Was overdramatic about refusing to give his word, made it into a show	Forgave her husband Did not judge John, continued to respect him Convinced John to come forward about Abby’s lies Was not resentful towards anyone and did not throw a fit about the false accusations Handled her accusations calmly and with poise    Protected her husband in court out of loyalty and love that she still held for him even after he cheated Refused to confess to a sin she hadn’t committed Would not judge John for whatever choice he made Clearly her decision was to honor only God and herself, not to appear heroic	Did not cheat on her spouse Upholds an amazing, well deserved reputation in Salem Did not participate in the hysteria at any point Voiced her opinion that witchcraft wasn’t real despite knowing the consequences Handled her accusations calmly and with poise Was calm, collected, and respectful even in the face of disrespect and with the threat of being hanged  Refused to confess to a sin she hadn’t committed Encouraged John to stay true to his faith Clearly her decision was to honor only God and herself, not to appear heroic

Textual Evidence

1. “I have known her, sir. I have known her.” -Proctor, about Abigail

“John, it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you'll not forgive yourself.” -Elizabeth

2. “No more! I should have roared you down when you first told me your suspicions. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. But you’re not, you’re not, and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the good in me, and judge me not.” -Proctor to Elizabeth

“I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John” -Elizabeth to John

3. “I am only wondering how I may prove what she told me, Elizabeth. If the girls a saint now, I think it not easy to prove she’s a fraud, and the town gone so silly.” -Proctor

“I think you must go to Salem, John. I think so. You must tell them it is a fraud.” -Elizabeth to John

4. “PROCTOR, moving menacingly toward her: ‘You will tell the court how that poppet come here and who stuck the needle in.’” -Proctor to Mary

“John, with so many in jail, more than Cheever’s help is needed now, I think. Would you favor me with this? Go to Abigail.” -Elizabeth

5. “How do you call upon Heaven? Whore! Whore!” -Proctor speaking in court

6. DANFORTH, reaches out and holds her face, then: Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? (In a crisis of indecision she cannot speak.) Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher!
ELIZABETH, faintly: No, sir.
DANFORTH: Remove her!
PROCTOR: Elizabeth, tell the truth!
DANFORTH: She has spoken. Remove her!
PROCTOR, crying out: Elizabeth, I have confessed it!
ELIZABETH: Oh, God! (The door closes behind her.)
PROCTOR: She only thought to save my name!

7. “I want my life.” -Proctor

8. “I have been thinking I would confess to them, Elizabeth. What say you? If I give them that?”  -Proctor

“Do what you will. But let none be your judge. There be no higher judge under Heaven than Proctor is!” -Elizabeth to John

9. “How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” -Proctor

 When comparing these quotes and situations alongside each other, it becomes apparent that every good thing he did was either from the guilt of cheating on his wife or was inspired by the actions of Elizabeth or Rebecca. He repeatedly demonstrates how desperate he is for Elizabeth’s forgiveness, prompting him to confess to his affair in court and refuse to plead guilty even though he clearly didn’t want to do either of those things. It was not until he watched Elizabeth and Rebecca stay true to their faith and moral system that he decided to do the same, yet he is considered a hero when all he did was follow the lead of two strong female characters who are deprived of the credit they deserve. The courageous ones in this play are Elizabeth and Rebecca, yet it is instead the hypocritical, adulterous, dishonest man who is placed on a pedestal. This tendency to excuse the actions of men and regard them as the hero of the story is one that is prevalent in other well-known stories, such as Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter or the heroic yet underrated Disney princesses including Mulan and Pocahontas. All of these women displayed extreme bravery that went unnoticed, a theme that extends itself into society as women are undervalued in the work force and seen as inferior to men in many cultures.

To recap, the hero of The Crucible has an affair with a child, resents his wife for not immediately forgiving him, acts destructively in times of crisis, and does the right thing only when his wife or his own guilt prompts him to.

Doesn’t sound like the best of heroes to me.