Search for Personal Dignity in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
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Department of English
Abstract
The Crucibleillustrates Arthur Miller’s brilliant handling of individuality.
Miller examines an individual in all aspects of humanity and encourages him/her to
protest against social restrictions. The protest inThe Crucibleextends up to the extent
of rejecting life itself. The protagonist of Miller’s play,The Crucible, John Proctor
confronts a challenge to his autonomous existence. Life does not give him anything
except making him participate in a losing battle. John Proctor has got freedom to
choose either his life or death. He could have saved his life by accepting witchcraft.
But he does not do so as he likes death better than such a condemned life. Finally, he
becomes able to preserve his individual dignity by choosing death.