Aubrie Hepworth

8B
Crucible Response
12*15*15
Honors Language Arts

The Unrepentant Sinner versus the Repentant Sinner

The Crucible, I believe, signifies the difference between the avid and unrepentant sinner
and the remorseful sinner. Abigail is a woman who sins without second thought, with no remorse
for her actions. She only thinks to do what may satisfy her wishes. John Proctor, on the other
hand, has committed many sins with Abigail but makes a full effort to repent and pay for those
sins. Abigail, because of her desire to create chaos and pain, is classified as the antagonist in the
film, but John Proctor, a man who committed many crimes punishable by death, seems to be the
protagonist of the story. The difference in their roles is determined by their attitudes towards their
sins and their desire, or lack thereof, to repent of those sins.
Abigail seems to represent an avid sinner that is unrepentant. She buries herself in many
lies in order to reach one main objectiveto win John Proctors love. She believes that the
obstacle in her way of receiving it is Proctors wife. In Abigails twisted way of thinking, she
comes to the conclusion that the death of his wife will be the solution to her problem. She tells
many lies that build upon each other and she accuses many people of witchcraft. All the while,
she stirs up paranoia among the settlers of Salem and they begin to accuse one another and tell
lies as well, all in an effort to save themselves or as an excuse to spite those they hate. Many of
the accused, including Abigail, decide to confess to dealing with the Devil. This action saves
their lives, but sacrifices their integrity and honor. These factors come into play when Mrs.
Proctor is accused of witchcraft, and she needs to decide whether to deny it or to admit to it. If

she denies it, she wont be killed as long a she is pregnant but if she admits, her honor is lost.
Abigails goal was to kill Mrs. Proctor in her desire for Mrs. Proctors husband, John Proctor.
John Proctor had committed many adulterous crimes and sins with Abigail, but since the
beginning of the story, he puts forth a valiant effort to repent of his sins to his wife, to himself, to
God, and to Abigail. His wife knew he had the affairs with Abigail, but throughout the film he
tries to make things better with his wife. He understands why she doesnt fully trust him anymore
because of this, and he feels terribly sorry because of it. He shows his remorse when breaking
things off with Abigail, telling her that he never reached for her. This breaks her heart, and
John realizes this but also realizes that discontinuing the affair is in the best interests of his
relationships, Abigails relationships, and both of their physical safety. Through all the chaos that
Abigail causes in an effort to win John back, John realizes he can stop the witch trials if only he
tells the truth of his affair to the judges. This is a major test of the level of his willingness to
repent of what he has done. This action will sacrifice his life for the life of the many people
possibly accused in the future. He ends up being accused, himself, and is hanged for his
unwillingness to confess. This may have been his final act of repentance. He refused to tell more
lies, despite what those consequences might have meant for him and his family.
The roles played in the stories of lives are often determined by the desires of the
characters. There may be consequences for past sin, but desire to repent and remorse helps
determine the inevitable role that is played. It may be for good, or for bad, depending on the
desire of the character. Abigail had selfish desires and many were killed because of it. John
Proctors old sins came back to haunt him, but he strove to make them right and desired to save
lives. He came to realize that no true good comes of lying, unlike Abigail, who never faced true
consequences for her actions.