A Diary from John Proctor to his Wife Elizabeth before He Died - Essay Example

A DIARY FROM JOHN PROCTOR TO HIS WIFE ELIZABETH BEFORE HE DIED A diary from John Proctor to his wife Elizabeth before he died A study of the diary of John Proctor to his wife Elizabeth gives a dipper insight into self sacrifice, love, justice and honesty. Through his death, the truth came to light that there were no witches in Massachusetts. Given the chance to confess being a witch so as to be spared from death, he opted not to. The people’s discovery of his innocence before his death did little to save his life as he could not falsely confess being a witch to save his life. Honesty was his way to save the people. The act of self sacrifice, though accused unjustly, saw the end of witch hunt come closer. Less than a year after Proctor’s death, all prisoners accused of witchcraft were pardoned and released on the assumption that they were all accused falsely. Though he was the first male to be accused of witchcraft, Proctor was prosecuted and executed innocently. Proctor was vocal and always opposed the witch prosecution, which in most cases saw innocent people accused unjustly 1. People took advantage of the prosecutions to settle scores through wrongfully accusing others of engaging in witchcraft. Proctor is also an example of a loving husband who loved his wife in all conditions. When his wife Elizabeth was wrongfully accused and imprisoned for witchcraft, Proctor did everything in his power to defend his wife against the accusation. When faced with death, Proctor pleaded for his life because he felt he was not yet fit to die at the age of sixty but still ended up being prosecuted. The hour is soon coming, sooner than I expected when I face the almighty God the overall judge of humanity. I am just human, but I believe I have earned a point in the final ruling through my honesty; I will have the courage to face my creator. Though I am not ready to go, I have to accept my fate and face death boldly. Even in death, I am grateful that I have left a mark in this world that will not be easy to get rid of. My honesty will be remembered for ages to come. The name John Proctor will be in many lips for ages. Even in my death, they will surely confess that I was not a witch, but a man who stood for the truth. It is my sincere believe that my children will forever be proud of me for my honesty and self sacrifice. The truth will prevail even in my absence. At my last hour, I still maintain that there is no witchcraft in the town and will stand by that to my grave. My dearest Elizabeth, how do I summarize the 18 years we have been together in marriage with few words. I truly appreciate your unwavering love and commitment to me at all times. Though I betrayed you, you were kind enough to forgive me. The love u showed me and our children cannot be measured. You are a truly humble but great woman. I am proud of being associated with you. Abigail was nothing more than just a passing wind. She tried all she could to come between us and even led me to betray you once but that was in the past. Your forgiveness was the best I could get. Elizabeth the love of my life, no matter how much Abigail wants me, am always yours. Abigail was that terrible nightmare that I would rather have her remain just a nightmare that I can wake up from. Abigail’s claim of being bewitched marked the beginning of problems in Salem. Soon a gang of women were trading accusations of witchcraft. The plan was to destroy Elizabeth so that Abigail can have me for herself. The whole saga appeared ridiculous at first until people were accused of being involved in witchcraft. Soon women were before the law being accused of witchcraft in the society. The first victims of the accusation included the motherly Rebecca. When Mary came home from Salem with news of witchcraft outbreak, there was nothing convincing about it, especially with knowledge that she had been forbidden from going there. The entry of Francis Nurse with news of Rebecca’s arrest confirmed the seriousness of the situation. My faith and conscience however did not allow me to believe in witchcraft. The thought of innocent people being accused was despicable. The list of those arrested after being accused was growing gradually day by day. The consequences of the accusations were neither attractive. People were being tortured to confess and face jail term with those refusing to confess being hanged. These are our mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and grandmothers being tortured as we watched. Witchcraft accusations were becoming a real menace that needed to be dealt with. I stood strong to defend what I believed in strongly; there is no witchcraft. A visit by Hale to my house one evening marked the beginning of my end. Thanks to the jealous Abigail, my precious wife was being accused of witchcraft. I was against witchcraft accusations and least expected any of my relatives to be accused. The worst had come and my wife was facing accusations of witchcraft. Our discussion with Hale was aimed at measuring our commitment to the Lord. The conversation went on well till I lost it. My hot tempers landed me and my family in trouble. Loosing composure in the presence of Hale was all I needed to land my wife in jail. Confessing the conversation I had with Abigail where she admits of not being bewitched did little to save the situation. Seeing my wife handcuffed broke my heart to pieces. If only I could scream to the whole world, let them know that she is not a witch; if only I could save her from this mess. The sight of her being led away was more than disturbing, especially with the thought that she might never come back to us. As a man, the best I could do was save the love of my life from death. True to my commitment, I was able to convince the court of my wife’s innocence. At some point, I managed to convince Mary, a friend to Abigail to testify against her friend’s claims of being bewitched. The bond of friendship between Mary and Abigail had them share secrets, including the truth about witchcraft claims. Evidence was brought against my wife, but the Mary’s testimony saved the day. Just when I thought the drama was over, Abigail had other plans up her sleeve. She, Abigail, was not going to give up that easily. A counter-accusation against Mary was up soon. Mary was accused of witchcraft and was not ready to go down alone. Being the shadow behind her current trouble, she opted to accuse me instead. Soon Mary accused me as the devil. The thought of me being accused as the devil was unbearable and soon I lost it again; my tempers got the better part of me. With my own tongue, I subconsciously claimed there was no God in the world. That was all Mary needed to succeed in her revenge mission. This time I had no second chance to make up for my mistakes. Mary’s accusations were believed and I am thrown in jail accused of witchcraft. The clock is ticking; the hour of my death has come. I cannot confess to witchcraft to save my life, no. this is my last chance to make things right in life. I have made many mistakes before and offended both men and god. The last thing I would wish to do is to stand by the truth; at least this once in my life. Though having told multiple lies before, I am ready to change for the better no matter the consequences. Though Abigail wanted to separate us, she will never have me for herself. I love Elizabeth and will always love her to death. Despite Abigail being discovered as a lie, many lives had already been lost. My dearest Elizabeth, this once, only this once, I am going to do the right thing. I will not sign my name as a witch to save my name. My wish is to have you Elizabeth and the children be proud of my name even after my death than to have me live with a stained name. Bibliography Don C, 2009. Letters, Journals, & Diaries of ye Colonial America. Lulu.com publisher. Read More