Essay About John Proctor's Downfall

The Reason Behind John Proctor's Downfall
In The Crucible, John Proctor is considered to be a tragic hero because he lets his pride get the best of him. He is faced with two difficult decisions and a sinful past that has come back to haunt him. While he yearns to make the right decision, he knows that the consequences could greatly affect him for the rest of his life. In the end, John possesses a tragic flaw of extreme pride, that will ultimately lead to his destruction.
John Proctor is well liked and respected in the Puritan community and is trusted by everyone. In Act I, on page 1269, It says “Proctor, respected and even feared in Salem, has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud.” This quote shows that John has a lot to lose if his secret gets out because everyone looks up to him.
Although John is a great man, his tragic flaw is his pride. He considers his name to have more value than his life. In Act IV, on page 1352, Proctor says, “Spite only keeps me silent. It is hard to give a lie to Dogs.” He is saying that his pride keeps him from “confessing” to witchcraft and saving his life. On

Since John will not confess, he is ultimately killing himself. In Act IV, on page 1357, Johns says, “..I do not think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.” John is so ashamed and disgusted with himself, that he doesn’t want people to know about his affair with Abigail.
In conclusion, John Proctor's tragic flaw of pride and his lust for Abigail, ultimately brings about his destruction. Even though John was a good man, he possessed a sense of pride that he could not give up, and he truly would rather die than to be shamed by his peers. The Crucible shows us that anyone can make mistakes, and even the Godliest of men can fall by the