Encountering Conflict Essay

Conflict, whether we choose to admit it, is a part of life. Conflict may be sparse in a persons life, and most of which is over trivial things, but when faced with a conflict great enough, the very fibre of a persons being is tested, and how they react proves what kind of person they are. This testing only occurs when one is taken far from their comfort zones, and is such often difficult to see. This is not the case in regards to those involved in the witch trials of Salem in 1692. As one of the many who were prosecuted during the Witch Trials, John Proctor, born March 30, 1632, faced something that changed changed his life in a rather drastic way. Proctor thought of himself as a man of honesty and integrity and one who pursued the truth and did little to hide it in any way. His nature was perceived in both good and bad light, often being too critical. Regardless of his nature, he was tried unjustly on false claims made by Abigail Williams. During these trials he was accused of witchcraft, was convicted and brought to prison. Weeks after his arrest, he was bidden to confess to witchcraft and to sign a document to prove it. After signing the document, Proctor wanted to keep the document from being nailed above the door of the Court of Oyer and Terminer. He did this to not tarnish his name, and that of his family’s, any more than he must. This resistance took great courage, knowing what would come as a result of his actions, that being the taking of his life. Sombre as this may be, an amount of good had come of this, Proctor had ultimately proved that he was the man that he thought he was, a man of justice, pride and ultimately honest man. Another man who was prosecuted as a result of these trials based on false accusation and meeting a similar fate to Proctor was Giles Corey.