Topic > The Role of Fear in the Crucible

John Proctor fears that his wife will discover his affair with Abigail. She doesn't want the truth to come to light because it might ruin her marriage. It can also ruin his reputation. In the play The Crucible, John says “…But I will cut off my hand before I can reach you again. Cleaning is out of mind. We never touched, Abby.” With this quote, we can see that John Proctor is afraid of Elizabeth finding out that he and Abigail had an affair. He wants Abigail to act like nothing happened, but she keeps looking for him. Proctor does not want his wife to find out that he has committed adultery. He just wants to save his marriage. In Act II, Proctor says, "...I have good reason to think before I accuse Abigail of fraud, and I will think of it." John has a dilemma. He doesn't know whether to accuse Abigail or remain silent. Proctor is afraid that if he accuses Abigail of witchcraft she will say something about their affair, his marriage could end. John must figure out how to save himself. John's sins have pushed his and Elizabeth's marriage to the limit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay John Proctor is afraid of losing Salem's respect for him. He is a very respected man. Proctor doesn't want to lose his reputation. In The Crucible, John insists, “Abby, forget about it. I'm not coming to get you anymore,” he added, “No, no, Abby. That's all." In quotes, we can see that John is trying to push Abigail away. He wants nothing to do with her. Abigail is obsessed with John Proctor. He doesn't understand that their relationship can bring him consequences such as the loss of his family and reputation. John says, “…Girl, what ails you? Stop complaining!” Abigail doesn't want to leave Proctor alone. Her relationship with John can also be dangerous because John is much older than Abigail. She is 17 and he is in his mid-thirties. His reputation in Salem could be ruined. Proctor can be accused and charged as a pedophile. He wants to remain a respected man in Salem. John may lose one of the most important things, his reputation, as a result of his actions. Even though, during The Crucible John Proctor feared losing many things, he also showed pride. His pride managed to take over his fear. In Act IV of The Crucible Proctor states: "I have confessed myself." He also added, “God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It's enough." John confessed his adultery. He wanted to save Elizabeth, his wife. Proctor had to admit that he was having an affair with Abigail. He had to choose between his wife's freedom or being accused of adultery or even his death. However, he put aside his fear to save his wife, he felt fear almost throughout the entire play. Proctor had to be pushed to the limit to admit his adultery. He was forced, in a certain sense, to confess. His fear did not allow him to be honest with Elizabeth about his sin. John Proctor is afraid because of the consequences his sins could bring upon him and Salem. He didn't want Elizabeth to find out that he had committed adultery. Proctor did not want to miss his wedding. He also wanted to prevent Salem from finding out about the affair between him and Abigail. Proctor did not want to lose his reputation and be judged a pedophile. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Most of us go through constant fear. We face it all the time. When we commit sins, we do not think about the consequences of our actions. Many times fear pushes us to remain trapped in our own.