The character John Proctor plays many significant roles in the Arthur Miller play "The Crucible." "The Crucible" is a book showing similarities between the Salem witch-hunts and McCarthyism of the 1950's. Proctor was a man that was wrongfully accused of witchcraft just like many people in the 1950's who were blacklisted because they were accused of having something to do with Communism.
             John Proctor was a farmer who did not agree with his minister, Mr. Parris. He believed Mr. Parris was not a man of God but a man of money. Even though he did not agree with Mr. Parris, he still should have gone to church more often. However, John disliked going to church to be continually reminded by his minister of his damnation. It is later revealed that John had committed lechery with his live-in servant, Abigail Williams. This was a very bad decision, and this drives a stake between Proctor and his wife. In the play, you find that he has already confessed to Elizabeth and has cast out Abigail. This is a smart choice for Proctor because it drives out the problem when Abigail leaves. Although Abigail still longs for John, he remains true to his spouse. When his wife and friends are charged with witchcraft, you see a new side to John Proctor. Showing his true colors is a very important aspect of the story. Gone, is the cold, dark man that cheated on his wife, appearing is a kind, bright man begging for the lives of his friends. He is like a phoenix rising from the ashes of his sins to soar amongst those who need him to win their freedom. In the way that Proctor resembles this mythological bird that rises from the ashes to live again is the way he comes away from his past mistakes and perseveres through the trials. To a tragic end, when John Proctor forces Mary Warren to tell the court the truth about how the girls are lying and using the courts for their amusement and sick vengeance, the girls turn on Mary Warren. This situation puts John in tro...