Queenie Chen Pd. 3 - 1078 Words

Queenie Chen Pd. 3 November 18, 2016 The Crucible - Reputation Task: Preserving one’s reputation is a prevalent theme in The Crucible. Conduct a detailed examination of two characters who are concerned with their reputations. How does this affect how they behave, the ultimate decisions they make, and other characters in the play? How are their situations similar or different? Is a good name more important than the truth, or are they indeed the same thing? How do these two characters exemplify this idea? One of the most prevalent theme in The Crucible is preserving one’s reputation. Reputation plays a huge role in Salem because the fear†¦show more content†¦Admitting to his sin would ruin his reputation forever, but if it meant saving his wife and Salem from witchcraft, he would carry this weight of shame. It s also concluded that if he had not slept with Abigail, no one would be in this position at all, so he was realizing his past mistakes and is willing to take the blame for himself, risking his own reputation. By the end of the play, Proctor’s desire to keep his good name, however, led him to make the heroic choice of not making a false confession. Instead, he would rather die knowing that he has some truth to himself. â€Å"Proctor, with a cry of his whole soul: Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lie! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!† (IV, pg.143). Throughout the whole play, Proctor felt like a fraud to everyone around him because they all saw him as this well respected and honest man in society. If he confessed to witchcraft, he would be lying to himself and to everyone else. He already holds so much guilt and shame for his adultery that he loses control over his soul. His good name was the only part left of him that was still pure. Proctor hastily decided to not sign his name away because he would have nothing left of himself. By refusing to give away his name, he redeems himself for his