The Tragic Hero of The Crucible A tragic hero is a character who undergoes a devastating fate for the greater good. They are often protagonists meant to arouse pity by relating to the reader. The Crucible by Arthur Miller features John Proctor as its tragic hero; he is a leader of Salem who dooms himself due to his fatal flaws and mistakes. John Proctor, though a mere farmer, wields considerable influence in Salem.
John Proctor, one of the main characters in The Crucible, is remorseful, candid, and industrial. He is very determined to make his farm as successful as possible. Proctor becomes truthful at the end when they want him to confess; moreover, he regrets what he did with Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor, is not willing to condone the situation. There is always something that will be in the back of John Proctors mind throughout his life.
John Proctor could be considered a tragic hero in The Crucible. A tragic hero is a person who a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall. John is also a very respected man in Salem and he had a prominent role in his community. WIth every tragic hero they have a great flaw that can help with their downfall. Therefore we are lead to believe that John Proctor is a tragic hero.
In Arthur Miller’s book, “The Crucible” there is one character who stands out from the rest, who catches your attention throughout the story, and his name is John Proctor. A tragic hero is a member of the community that has a tragic flaw that eventually will lead straight to a tragic fail. Through his good and bad deeds, his adultery, and his stuck up pride, would Mr. John Proctor be considered a tragic hero? John Proctor is a very prominent man in this community. He helps work the fields, he takes the load of people who can’t do it, and he is just all around a town favorite.
John Proctor's main flaw was his excessive pride which sealed his fate. I myself felt his death transformed Salem’s ways of thinking and increased their own knowledge. Proctor's life completely started going downhill when Abigail accused John’s loved ones who then were sent to jail, or executed. John Proctor was a man of goodness and pride which cleansed his soul after he suffered a tragic death, and became a symbol of purity and greatness for others to
In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, John Proctor’s act of tearing up his confession is believable. Many see John Proctor as a good and noble Christian. Proctor is the definition of what a good Christian man should be and, in the end he will go down fighting for what he believes in. When John Proctor tears up his confession at the end of the play he does it because he is a good and loyal friend.
In doing so, he creates personal conflicts from the pressure he places on himself to be that person. As the corruption in Salem becomes revealed, it only deepens Proctor’s conflicts, as he truly wishes to right the injustice he sees. However, his frailty as a human leaves him susceptible to mistakes, namely his affair with Abigail Williams. He believes it has irreparably damaged him in the eyes of his wife and in the eyes of God. Distraught, Proctor views himself as a sinner and as a person unworthy of the esteem given to him.
He is quickly framed by the guilt of betraying his wife and community, setting off a chain of events that leads to his execution. Proctor’s guilt spreads as he tries to uncover the truth about the witch trials and Abigail’s motives. At first, he fears that his news will damage his reputation, but he later confesses the affair and accuses Abigail of the witch trials to get revenge. Although the truth is later revealed, Proctor’s guilt and complicated moral decisions lead to his tragic end.
At the beginning of the play, Proctor is portrayed as a flawed individual who is guilty of committing adultery with his former servant, Abigail Williams. He is initially unwilling to come forward and confess and instead chooses to keep it a secret to protect his reputation. Proctor himself states that "I have known her, sir. I have known her" (Miller 648) suggesting that his adultery with Abigail is not a character defect within Proctor himself, but rather a human weakness that he ultimately takes responsibility for and tries to atone with. When Proctor does confess his adultery, it is not a realization of a personal flaw, but rather an attempt to clear his name and prove his innocence.
In analyzing Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, John Proctor stands out as the tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined as someone who has great courage but ultimately dies or comes to their downfall at the end of the story. Proctor fits this mold, as he is a respected member of his community, but his past infidelity creates a moral dilemma for him that ultimately leads to his tragic end. Proctor's tragic flaw is his past adultery with Abigail Williams, the play's main antagonist.
A tragic hero is somebody that makes a design or has a flaw in how they act that will lead to their destruction. The play Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest known plays know in the history of playwriting like many of Shakespeare 's plays this one is a tragedy. With all tragedies, there is a tragic hero, in this story this person is Romeo. In this play Romeo is the tragic hero because he fits all of the criteria of a tragic, hero, his flaws lead to his destruction some of those being emotionally driven, he is impulsive and immature. The first reason why Romeo is a tragic hero is that he is emotionally driven.
He cared greatly about his family and wife even though Elizabeth was often distant towards him. In the end of the play, Proctor chooses to die rather than sign his confession, ratting out his friends and ruining his good name in the town. He did this to protect the reputation of his children so they won’t have to grow up with a lying father. Lying went against Protctors’ views and that ideal is prevalent throughout the entire play. It is revealed that as soon as he had an affair with Abigail, he confessed to Elizabeth the next day because of the guilt he was carrying around.
A tragic hero is a literary character that makes a judgment error that leads to his or her downfall. Traditionally, a tragic hero is reserved only for the elite, or noble members of society. However, Miller believes that the common man is equally subject to tragedy as the highest kings are. In The Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller portrays the protagonist, Willy Loman as a tragic hero. Willy Loman is a financially struggling man in his sixties looking for success for him and his family.
Modern Tragic Hero? A classical tragic hero, or a shakesperean hero, is defined by a character with a high status who has a tragic flaw, which leads to their demise. Arthur Miller redefines a tragic hero, stating that a modern tragic hero, is but a common man, a wounded hero, with an unwillingness to settle for less. Miller states that a modern tragic hero is a common man, because we can identify better with them as a tragic figure, because they are more similar to us.
An Aristotelian tragic hero is a character born of noble birth and, by destiny, has a tragic flaw that inevitably leads to his or her downfall and redeems his or herself by the end of the tragedy. For one to consider a play a tragedy, the character of the play must be noble, and the play typically starts off with happiness and wealth. The play ends with sadness and the hero has a tragic flaw that causes their downfall. In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth fits the definition of an Aristotelian tragic hero. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he starts by being loyal and trustworthy, develops a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall, and he redeems a small measure of himself before he dies.