The Crucible
john proctor
John Proctor’s primary motivation is to free himself from the sin of committing adultery which tarnishes his good reputation in the village. Throughout the play, John undergoes internal conflict of conserving his reputation and retrieves the love and trust he once had with his wife. Proctor says to Abigail, “ But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby.” (22). John refutes his secret affair with Abby. Not only does he refute Abby’s lust, but also, he commits his entire life for his wife Elizabeth. John says “I will bring you home, I will fall like an ocean on that court! Fear nothing, Elizabeth”(73). John, in order to accomplish the promise to bring Elizabeth home and prove his integrity, challenges Abigail in the court by attributing Abigail as a whore. Even though he has lost the fame he once hold in the society, he regained the trust from his wife. His motivation to repair his reputation and prove his honesty frees not only Elizabeth from the jail, but also himself from the provincial societal values.