The Importance of a Good Name

Throughout life you learn the importance of a good name and its importance in society. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, one of the themes is a good name is more precious than life. Different characters such as Reverend Parris, Judge Danforth, and the Proctors represent this theme. They represent this theme in different ways and for different reasons, but they all demonstrate that they value their name over life, whether it be their own life or someone else’s.

In some cases, such as like Reverend Parris’, people don’t care who they hurt along the way to keeping a good name. Reverend Parris uses his daughter Betty’s “sickness” as an excuse for catching them in the woods. He says that she has been “bewitched” rather than telling the truth. This leads the town into a downward spiral. “The Salem tragedy, which is about to begin in these pages develop from a paradox. It is a paradox in whose grip we still live and there is no prospect yet that we will discover is resolution.” (7) The paradox mentioned in this quote is the paradox from which the witch hunt develops. The events that happen throughout the play are contradicting. Reverend Parris says that he wants a “perfect society”, but he is the first to call witch so that he can protect his name. He doesn’t want to come straight out and say that his daughter was dancing in the forbidden woods, conjuring spirits. That would ruin his reputation. Parris is more concerned with wealth and status than with spiritual matters with the church.

For Judge Danforth, it was a little bit different. He didn’t only want to protect his name, but the court too. Danforth didn’t care who was harmed on his treck to find the “truth”. “Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village, expects to see them die this morning. Postponement now speaks floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them till now.” (129) What Judge Danforth means is that he has already sent twelve others to be executed, if he postpones these seven deaths, Danfoth and the court would be looked upon as fraud. Judge Danforth sends innocent people to their death just because he doesn’t want to lose his reputation or put the court in danger. He didn’t care who died or whether they were innocent or guilty, just as long as he could walk away with his dignity, pride, and his good name.

However, in the Proctor’s case Elizabeth and John sacrifice themselves to save either their name or each others. One example of this is how Elizabeth tells a lie to protect John. In his attempt to overthrow the court and prove that everything that Abigail is saying and doing is just pretend, he tells the truth about his adultery with Abigail. He says to Judge Danforth that he could ask his wife and she would tell the truth about it. “IN her life, sir, she had never lied. There are them who cannot sing, and them that cannot weep—my wife cannot lie.” (111) It is ironic, though, that John is counting on Elizabeth to tell the truth about him cheating. This would prove everything the girls are doing is fraud. But Elizabeth tells a lie and says that John has never cheated to protect his name. Moreover, Elizabeth sacrifices herself by telling John the truth that she feels about it was her fault that he cheated. “John, I counted myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me! Suspicion kissed you when I did; I never knew how I should say my love. It were a cold house I kept!” (137) Elizabeth confesses that it was her fault that he cheated. She kept a “cold house”. When she does this, John Proctor gets his name back. Once he has it he is unwilling to give it away. When he confesses that he is a “witch” he rips up the confession. He does this because Judge Danforth asks John do give up names of his friends that he has “seen with the devil”. He refuses to tell them anything. They come to terms with that and just ask him to sign his confession. He does so and then takes it and rips it up. John does not want to give up his name. He doesn’t want to give them his goodness. But throughout the entire play up to when he confesses, its almost his fault that this is happening. John feels like if it weren’t for him none of this would have happened. But he had realized it too late. John didn’t want to tell