The foolish death of John Proctor in The Crucible In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor, a proud and frustrated farmer from Salem, chooses to die rather than giving a false confession to witchcraft. Many might view this act as that of a selfless martyr; on the other hand, it can more easily be seen as the culmination of human stupidity in the face of vanity and pride. John Proctor is, at first, willing to offer a false confession so that his life may be spared. Inevitably, John Proctor possesses that fatal attribute known to be fatal to many human beings: pride. Although he has indeed been ashamed of his many sins throughout his life, Proctor's soul still clings to his pride and good name, however dirty it may have become. On the morning scheduled for his execution, Proctor struggles with the knowledge that one more sin so piled on the rest of his life will ultimately make little difference; "I can't go up on the gallows like a saint. It's a scam. I'm not that man... My honesty is broke... I'm not a good man. You don't ruin anything by telling them this lie." (126) She tries to calm her pride by telling herself that the other accused witches who will not bear false witness to save themselves from the gallows have every right to do so; they led a guilt-free life. However, it is said, he did nothing of the sort; What right has he to be hanged among the righteous? "Let those who never lied die now to preserve their souls. To me it is a pretense, a vanity that will not blind God nor keep my children from the wind." (126) Thus the conviction first achieved by John Proctor is to save his life rather than throw it away in mock martyrdom. However, that pride, which he tries so hard to repress, takes hold of... middle of paper... has led him to believe that this death will not lead to anything as great as Proctor hopes. John Proctor's death will be his fault, no one else's, and what a sad and pathetic waste it will be. And so here is a stupid little man, bent with pride, towards the gallows and whatever fate may await him beyond. Indeed, what legacy did John Proctor leave to his wife, who was left homeless, without a husband? What legacy did John Proctor leave to his children, abandoned by their father in a fit of selfish vanity? What message was left to his children who would live forever in the knowledge that their father cared more about his good name than his own children and their well-being? What memory would he leave to the world that he could not save, what legacy to the world? Here the foolish little man, bent by pride, moves away from the family that needs him, towards his destiny.