Question

Identify and explain how John Proctor becomes a “Christ” figure in The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

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Readers and audiences are certainly going to have widely varying opinions on how (or even if) John Proctor is a Christ figure of sorts. In my opinion, if you look at the entire play, I think calling Proctor a Christ figure is a tough sell due to his previous affair with Abigail Williams. Additionally, Proctor fails at remembering the ten commandments from scripture. This is something that Christ most certainly would not have struggled with.
Where I think it is possible to see John Proctor as a Christ figure is at the very end of the play. John is offered a chance to live. He is offered a chance to end all of his pain and suffering. All he has to do is sign a confession that he knows is a lie. The temptation has to be huge, and that is reminiscent of Christ's 40 days in the wilderness where Satan tempted Christ in a variety of ways. Christ even prayed to God the father to save him from the Crucifixion, yet Christ willingly went to his death in order to save all mankind from their sins. While Proctor is hardly saving humanity from sin, he does willingly go to the gallows. He does this to save his name and save the reputation of the other Salem residents that refused to confess a lie.

The Crucible

Identify and explain how John Proctor becomes a “Christ” figure in The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

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