John Proctor is a different man by the end of The Crucible, as his character evolves from a self-loathing sinner to an upright, moral man.
At the beginning of the play, John is intent on hiding his affair from everyone—even at the expense of others’ safety. He guesses immediately that Abigail is playing a game, and he wants her to tell the truth so innocent people don’t get hurt. However, she is not interested in what is right or moral—she is only interested in him. While John recognizes this fact, he fails to recognize how far Abigail will go in her delusion that she can win him back.
John begins to realize the truth after so many people, including Elizabeth, are accused, and he tries to stop the hysteria. Abigail speaks of cleaning up the world and taking Elizabeth’s place; she is also adamant that witches are harming her. Her wild talk makes John realize that Abigail will stop at nothing—even physically harming herself—to get what she wants. John is forced to acknowledge...
(The entire section contains 3 answers and 1156 words.)
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