As Act IV of The Crucible opens, Marshal Herrick is observed moving Sarah Good and Tituba to a cell. Reverend Parris enters and informs him that Abigail Williams and Mercy Lewis have escaped.
Parris wishes to postpone the hangings and fears that a riot would erupt in Salem if John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Marthy Corey were to be hanged. Reverend Hale insists on having them pardoned. Danforth refuses to consider either of the two suggestions.
John and Elizabeth Proctor are brought into the same room. Hale believes that she would be able to convince her husband to confess to the charge of witchcraft, thereby saving his life. Elizabeth informs her husband that he is the only one who can take this decision.
John believes that he is stained in the eyes of God and his wife because of his affair. Elizabeth explains to him that her forgiveness would be meaningless if he refuses to forgive himself. John announces that he will confess.
However, later, John denies seeing any of the accused, and he refuses to tarnish their reputations. After much arguing, he signs his confession, but tears it up eventually.
Act IV focuses on the theme of morality versus reputation.
Judge Hawthorne does not worry about his reputation being soiled because he is convinced that the majority of the townsfolk accept his interpretations. He is unconcerned by the few who might disagree with his interpretations.
Danforth, on the other hand, is deeply anxious about his reputation; he wonders how he might be perceived if he were to pardon those sentenced to execution. He is also worried that pardons might give people cause to wonder if the twelve people who had already been hanged were in fact guilty.
Meanwhile, John Proctor seems preoccupied about earning an honorable reputation, both in the eyes of God and the people of Salem. To this end, he seeks to uncover the truth even if doing so jeopardizes his own life. John displays his integrity by admitting to his affair with Abigail. He only seems to care about how God and Elizabeth might judge him.
Although she does not want to lose her husband, Elizabeth accepts John’s decision because it reveals his strength of character. Elizabeth watches him from afar as he approaches the gallows, dismayed but at peace with herself.