The Boldness Of Courage

The Boldness of Courage

“You’re the Devil’s man!” (118), Mary Warren cried out when she
accused John Proctor of working for the devil. Courage is defined as mental
or moral strength to face danger without fear. This is supported in Arthur
Miller’s The Crucible. Throughout the Salem witch trials in the 1600’s,
courage was that good people held in to, even through the toughest times.
To illustrate this, an example of someone with courage is John Proctor.
Proctor is a farmer with a wife, Elizabeth, and three young boys. He quietly
suffers from guilt caused by an affair he had with a young woman named
Abigail Williams. He is contrite and solicitous in his wife’s presence, and he
yearns to regain her respect. John shows his courage when he has to make a
life and death decision to lie and say that he is involved in witchcraft, which
will prevent his execution, or to deny being a witch and be hanged. Proctor,
after being questioned by Judge Danforth about being involved in witchcraft,
stated that he was. Danforth was then having Proctor sign a confession, but
he argued with Danforth saying, “ I have confessed myself! Is there no good
penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the
church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are!” (142).
When Danforth would not give up the argument with Proctor to sign the
confession, he asked, “Then explain to me, Mr. Proctor, why will you not let
me have it? “ (143), Proctor answered, ...

The Boldness Of Courage

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