John Proctor
Act 4
1. “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a
fraud. I am not that man…My honesty is broke,
Elizabeth; I am no good man” (pp. 108-110)
• Explain the reasons why Proctor decides
to confess to being a witch.
• Describe and explain what
feelings/thoughts/emotions Proctor is
experiencing in this scene.
Note:
Proctor is faced with a dilemma here.
1) Confess to witchcraft and live the rest of
his life in shame and humiliation, his
reputation destroyed, forever known as a
witch; or
2) Refuse to confess and therefore be
hanged.
• Proctor believes that he is not a good or
honest man and that it will not matter if he
lies some more in order to save himself.
He believes that he is not as holy or virtuous
as Rebecca Nurse or Martha Corey and that
it would be hypocritical for him to die like
them for refusing to confess. He believes that
these two women have much more integrity
and honour than him and that he does not
deserve to die a noble death like them.
Instead, he deserves to live the rest of his life
in shame as a witch.
• Proctor feels great anger and spite towards
men such as Danforth who have had him
imprisoned and tortured for months and
forced him to live in squalid conditions
away from his wife and family.
Proctor has completely lost all faith in
himself. He is plagued by guilt over the pain
and suffering he has caused his family and
he believes that there is no goodness left in
him. He despises himself.
Proctor also seems to be very unsure and
confused about whether or not he should
confess. He knows that confessing is a lie
and he constantly seeks Elizabeth’s
guidance and reassurance that he is doing
the right thing.
He agonises over the decision and
questions himself.
He is faced with a dilemma whereby every
possible decision he can make has dire
consequences and this causes him great
distress and anguish.
Techniques
• Key scene.
• Dialogue.
• Characterisation.
2. God in heaven, what is John Proctor,
what is John Proctor? (pp. 110-111)
• Describe and explain Proctor’s
thoughts/feelings/emotions after he
confesses to witchcraft.
• Immediately after agreeing to confess,
Proctor regrets his decision.
He believes that he has committed an act of
great evil as he has falsely admitted to such
a heinous crime in order to save himself.
He feels embarrassed and ashamed of
himself for his immoral decision.
He seeks forgiveness from Elizabeth and
desperately seeks her approval for his
decision.
He is in great distress and anguish, torturing
himself over the choice he has made.
He is tearing himself apart with his doubts.
He questions what type of man he truly is
and almost seems to be unable to recognise
himself anymore.
He shows that he fully understands that his
confession will destroy his reputation: he
becomes distressed and horrified at the idea
that his confession will be written and then
posted on the church door as an example to
others.
Techniques
• Dialogue.
• Characterisation.
3. “They think to go like
saints. I like not to spoil their
names” (112-113)
• How does Proctor react when Rebecca
enters? What does this reveal about him?
• What does Proctor refuse to do? What
does this reveal about him?
• Proctor is overcome with so much shame,
embarrassment and guilt that he cannot bear to
even look at Rebecca when she enters.
John sees Rebecca as being a perfect example of
someone with great honesty, goodness and
integrity, and he feels deeply ashamed at how he
does not have the courage to stick to his
convictions, as she does. She has refused to
damn herself by falsely confessing.
She reminds him of what it means to have
integrity and courage- things that he has lost.
Rebecca makes him realise that he has made the
wrong decision in confessing.
• During Proctor’s confession, Danforth asks
him to name those people who he saw with
the Devil in order to demonstrate that his
confession is genuine.
Danforth puts Proctor under pressure to name
others, particularly those (like Rebecca Nurse
and Martha Corey) who are due to be
executed that morning. Danforth implies that
if Proctor does not “name names” then his
confession will not be official.
However, despite Danforth’s pressure,
Proctor refuses to implicate others in order
to prove that his confession is genuine.
He is not willing to be responsible for the
deaths of innocent people so that he can
protect himself.
He risks his confession not being believed in
order to protect his friends.
In other words, he risks his own life: if
Danforth refused his confession, Proctor
would have been hanged.
Techniques
• Key scene.
• Dialogue.
• Characterisation.
4. “How may I live without my
name? I have given you my soul,
leave me my name! (p.114-115)
• Explain the reasons why Proctor rips up
his confession.
• What are the consequences for him?
• Describe and explain the
feelings/thoughts/emotions Proctor is
experiencing in this scene.
• Danforth requires a copy of Proctor’s
confession so that he can pin it to the
Church door as an example to others in
Salem. He also wants it as proof in case
Proctor denies the confession after he is
set free.
However, Proctor is not willing to be used
by Danforth in this way. He is not willing
to allow Danforth to use him in order to
validate the arrests and executions of
countless innocent people.
Proctor knows that if his confession is nailed to
the church door on the very day that Rebecca
and Martha are hanged then it will cast doubt and
suspicion upon them. Proctor is not willing to
dishonour his friends in this way.
Proctor would rather die in a dignified and
honourable way than live the rest of his life in
shame and guilt. He does not want to be known
as a witch for the rest of his life, his reputation in
ruins.
He cannot bear the thought of living the rest of
his life knowing that, like a coward, he lied to
save himself while his friends had the courage
and integrity to die with dignity as martyrs.
• As a result of ripping up his confession,
Proctor is hanged.
However, his decision also means that:
-he dies a dignified and honourable death.
-he has, to some extent, redeemed himself
for his affair with Abigail and his other sins.
-he rediscovers the goodness, honesty and
integrity that he had lost.
-he dies with his weighty reputation intact.
Techniques
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Denouement (day-noo-mon)
Key scene.
Dialogue.
Characterisation.