Monday, September 30, 2013

Is John Proctor a Christian?

The play also shows a John Proctor who is conflicted about his faith.  There is the issue with Reverend Parris and the money he spends on gold candlesticks.  As the witch trials heat up, especially since he knows the truth, he loses faith in some of the church elders and the court, because they cannot see the farce for what it is.


I don't think Proctor ever abandons Christianity, per se, but without saying so, he may have abandoned Puritanism by the end.  But then again, so did a lot of people at that time.  By 1730, a mere 38 years after the Salem fiasco, there was no Puritan Church left in New England.

No comments:

Post a Comment

In Act III, scene 2, why may the establishment of Claudius's guilt be considered the crisis of the revenge plot?

The crisis of a drama usually proceeds and leads to the climax.  In Shakespeare's Hamlet , the proof that Claudius is guilty...