Crucible: excessive pride
...verend Parris to cast out any witches. He was a cocky, know-it-all, who considered himself with the “best minds of Europe” (184). Hale’s strong pride is shown in the way that he would talk down to people as if he was better. An example is when Reverend Hale came to the Proctor’s house to warn them that Elizabeth’s name had been mentioned in court, he talks down to Elizabeth by saying “Goody Proctor, I do not judge you. My duty is to add what I may to the godly wisdom of the court” (199). When Reverend Hale recognizes that what is going on is wrong he rushes back to Salem from Andover to warn the people. He tells Danforth, “Excellency, if you postpone a week and publish to the town that you are striving for their confessions, that speak mercy on your part, not faltering” (233). Hale wants the hangings postponed for lack of evidence against the accused. Reverend Hale has a strong pride for what he believes is right. Elizabeth Proctor’s pride for her good family name is what set her name bad. Elizabeth Proctor’s excessive pride of the family name is what ended up sending her husband, John Proctor to jail. She is a very honest person, she is said to have never spoken a lie. The pride for her good name was shown when Danforth asked her if her husband had committed lechery, she faintly replied “No, Sir” (223). At this point she was only looking out for her family’s name and did not think that John Proctor would of admitted to have had an affair with Abigail Williams. When looking out for her husband by telling a lie, she then realized that it was her fault too by telling John “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery” (237). This is what justified Elizabeth’s pride. Excessive pride is what killed John Proctor. He was a well-respected man, even though he attended church only twenty-six times in seventeen months. He went to church so rarely because he did not like the way Reverend Parris preached. John Proctor has a passionate pride...