Miller’s character and the real person do have some similarities, but they have a great deal of differences as well. However, John Proctor is not just a made up character in Miller’s play, he is based off of a real person who lived during the same time period named John Proctor. This shocking plot twist changes the tone from belligerent to awestruck because throughout the story John Proctor’s name means a great deal to him and when he confesses to witchcraft, he not only ruins his name but also seals his fate. One of Miller’s characters, John Proctor, is wrongfully accused of witchcraft into which he admits soon after that these accusations are true. During what is known as the “Red Scare”, Americans are being accused of associating or being part of the communist party, much like in The Crucible where most innocent people are accused of witchcraft. As John Proctor creates even more hysteria and madness in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, not only does this seal Proctor’s fate, but it also mimics the mood and aura of the Red Scare during the 1950s.

“I say– I say– God is dead!” (Miller 198).

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