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John Proctor As A Tragic Hero In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

892 Words4 Pages

“A tragic hero is a character that is noble and well-respected, but he has one tragic flaw that causes him to fall from greatness. This error will physically and spiritually wound the tragic hero, eventually causing his death. In the end, the tragic hero sees and understands his doom, as well as the fact that his fate was brought about by his own actions. He is then able to accept his death with honor. A tragic hero’s death will generally gain a sympathetic emotional reaction from his fellow characters and from the audience.” This definition of a tragic hero applies to John Proctor from The Crucible. John Proctor is considered a tragic hero given to the fact that he is noble and well-respected in the town, he has a tragic flaw, and his death …show more content…

John Proctor was known to be a loved and respected man in the town. Although no townspeople upfrontly said it within the play, there were many occurrences where it was demonstrated to the readers and audience. In the first act Abigail finds Proctor and reminds him of their affair. She constantly dreams of it and wants it to happen again. Proctor thinks of her otherwise. “Abby, you’ll put it out of mind. I’ll be not comin’ for you more.” says Proctor on page 838. Proctor realizes his mistake of committing adultery with Abigail and he refuses to speak of it more. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor was portrayed in the beginning of Act 1 to be a monster of a woman according to Abigail but many actions including giving her sorrow filled husband a second chance after he slept with another girl by reason of her knowing it was a mistake and that her honorable husband would not do it again. Another reason he is a respected man is due to the fact he was able to convince Reverend Hale that he was innocent just by being himself. In the third act when John was convicted, it lead Hale to quit his job since he knew such a known man would not do such a thing. Finally, the most obvious reason of all, Proctor would not simply sign his name over to the court confessing he committed witchcraft just so they can post it on the church doors. He …show more content…

“I have known her, sir. I have known her.” says Proctor to Danforth on page 873 while confessing his wrongs in hopes of saving his “no lying” wife from being hung. Proctor had committed adultery with Abigail Williams which we knew about in the first act, but it was not until the third until more people than Elizabeth and the two rulebreakers were aware of it. To be a tragic hero the person must “fall” due to a flaw in his own personality. Proctor’s crime of infidelity with Abigail was his tragic flaw along with his excessive pride when it came down to him not signing his name so the court can not hang it on the church door when he falsified being a

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Elizabeth Proctor Characteristics

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Elizabeth Proctor was true to God, her husband, and family. At the beginning of the story, she and John Proctor, her husband, were known as the best judges of character. As the play continues and the plot unfolds, she and her family became the resounding examples of their judgments. This occurs when Elizabeth finds out that her husband has been having an affair with their housekeeper, Abigail Williams. We, the readers, can infer that John had an affair because of Elizabeth’s cold, emotionless, and detached attitude.

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Quos In 'Act One Of The Play John Proctor'

932 Words | 4 Pages

In the play Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams. He knows it was wrong and he regrets it, but he can not take it back and he does not want to be judged for it. This was a big part in the play and so I felt that it had some insight into Proctor’s life. Abigail Williams lies a lot in this play and she gets the other young girl girls that were caught in the forest to lie with her. Although John Proctor does not buy into their story.

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John Proctor Hero Quotes

592 Words | 3 Pages

The Crucible is a play, written by Arthur Miller, telling the tragic story of the Witch Trials that took place in Salem, during 1692 and 1693. John Proctor was a main character in the story, who affected the storyline with his affair, with young Abigail. An ample amount of times in this story, Proctor shows characteristics of a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a wrong judgement, leading to his/her death.

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How Did Proctor Want To Die In The Crucible

518 Words | 3 Pages

Would you give up your life to let someone else keep theirs? In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, which was written in the late 17th Century, in Salem Massachusetts, the play is an allegory of Salem witch trials of 1692. John Proctor, a farmer from outside town, is married to Elizabeth Proctor. In the town where they lived in, 19 were chosen to be prosecuted because they were blamed for doing witchcraft and he was part of it too. In the play, he has to make the hardest decision, whether to die of sin or to keep his integrity and be hanged.

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Who Is To Blame For The Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible

1053 Words | 5 Pages

In Act 2, Elizabeth and proctor get into a huge argument, she now feels like she can’t trust proctor anymore. Elizabeth says “ I do not judge you , the magistrate sits in your heart that judges you, I never thought you but a good man, John”(Miller 55). Proctor gets mad because his wife believes Abigail over him. Abigail accusations caused Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth to get into an argument. Abigail also claimed that she loved John and that he loved her too, “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time.

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Is John Proctor Justified In The Crucible

967 Words | 4 Pages

Likewise, when Elizabeth is brought before Danforth to verify Proctor’s confession, she lies to protect her husband, whom she refers to as a “goodly man,” from suspicion (Miller, 113). The affair may have caused Elizabeth to doubt Proctor but both parties still care deeply for each other and try to protect each other from harm. Even in his last moments, Proctor’s last words- “Show honor now, show a stony heart and sink them with it!”- were directed toward Elizabeth and were full of love and care (Miller, 144). Proctor may have sinned but his regret over his affair with Abigail and the trouble he had brought upon his wife justifies his

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John Proctor Character Analysis

679 Words | 3 Pages

Many could argue that John Proctor is not a tragic hero, but actually, he is. Proctor was a very respectable, well known man and he had the courage to admit his affair with Abigail in front of the whole courtroom and ruined his good name. He could have saved his wife and let everyone die but no, he decided to do the right thing and confess. He didn't care if he lived or died, he just wanted all of the killing and accusing to stop.

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John Proctor Struggles

530 Words | 3 Pages

Main character John Proctor has a drastic change in the play when his wife Elizabeth Proctor is accused of being a witch. Proctor in the beginning of the play is a hotheaded sinner to becoming a man who wants redemption to what he committed. When we are first introduced to Proctor in Act I it is known that he has an affair with Abigail Williams. Proctor has committed lechery. In Act II Proctor is known of

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John Proctor's Reputation In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

627 Words | 3 Pages

Parris is afraid that a rumor has been going around and might ruin his name around the town,but most important that Elizabeth Proctor,John proctor wife has been telling everyone in the town that she not a proper girl. Abigail is selfish, and a magnificent liar and also only cares about her reputation and trying to get attention. Abigail had an affair with John Proctor. She doesn't want anyone one to know that she had an affair with proctor "

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The Crucible: John Proctor As A Tragic Hero

259 Words | 2 Pages

In The Crucible, John Proctor’s tragic flaw-his considerable amount of dignity-drove him to his ruinous death, establishing him as the tragic hero. Even though John brought his destined defeat upon himself, he is still considered the tragic hero. In the beginning of The Crucible, John Proctor was thought able enough to stop the allegations of innocent people because he was outspoken against the accepted beliefs throughout Salem. This gives him the title of a virtuous character because he is being beneficial to the community. When Arthur Miller reveals John Proctor’s past liaison with Abigail Williams to the reader it is unknown by the rest of the community.

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Internal Conflict In The Crucible

1095 Words | 5 Pages

The Crucible - Conflict Analysis John Proctor Internal: John Proctor’s most eminent internal conflict is over the sin he has committed, adultery. Proctor cheated on his wife with Abigail Williams, and this makes Proctor feel incredibly guilty because in the town, he is “respected and even feared” (19). He tried very hard, and succeeded, with keeping this moral crime to himself. He still walked about Salem as if he was “an untroubled soul,” (21) however, avoiding the sin again would be a difficult task. Abigail flirts with him, in attempt to have him for one last night, and it’s obvious Proctor has an arduous time pushing her away.

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John Proctor As A Tragic Hero In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

801 Words | 4 Pages

A tragedy is defined as a story that follows the downfall of someone, usually due to a flaw that the said person has. The crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, is an excellent example of this as the protagonist, John Proctor is the definition of a tragic hero due to the events that occur in the play which lead to his downfall because of his tragic flaw, lust. In a tragedy the main character usually has some kind of tragic flaw that leads to the character's demise, in the Crucible, John Proctor's tragic flaw is his lust. Throughout many parts of the play Proctor shows his lust for Abigail, first by having sex with her during the events before the play, and later having issues with telling the hierarchy that he knows that Abigail is lying about their being witchcraft in the city as evident by this quote “Proctor, with solemn warning: You will not judge me more, Elizabeth.

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John Proctor As A Tragic Hero In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

856 Words | 4 Pages

In “Tragedy and the Common Man,” Miller states that “the flaw” in a character could simply be “the inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity” (Miller, “Tragedy and the Common Man” 2). Fitting this mold, John Proctor’s pride, preventing him from tainting his own reputation within the community, is his fatal flaw. Initially, he refuses to tell the community about Abigail’s false accusations. When Elizabeth coaxes him to, he becomes infuriated, saying that he has “good reason to think before I [he] charge[s] fraud on Abigail” (Miller, The Crucible, 54). By notifying Salem about the truth, Proctor would risk revealing his adultery.

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Analysis Of John Proctor In The Crucible

987 Words | 4 Pages

Abigail does all this for the man that she loves and had an affair with, John Proctor. If the reader begins to focus on John, his actions and what he stands for, they are easily able to recognize he portrays characteristics of the flawed nature of an individual. It is shown through the fact that he had an affair, isn’t able to forgive himself, and at the end of the book, is unable to give up something dear to him to save himself and others. When analyzing John Proctor, the first thing that stands out is that he had an affair with a 17 year-old Abigail Williams. Proctor has a wife who loves him and three children but still decides to stray from his family and fancies someone else.

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What Is John Proctor's Reputation In The Crucible

1159 Words | 5 Pages

In The Crucible, a drama by Arthur Miller, John Proctor demonstrates courage by speaking out for what he believes in while knowing his consequences, admitting his wrong doings with Abigail to save Elizabeth’s life, and choosing to be hanged over having his name posted on the church door because the second his signed confession is posted, his and his loved ones reputations will be ruined. In the beginning of the play all John Proctor cared about was his reputation. However, ultimately he sacrificed his reputation by telling the court he committed adultery. John telling the court he was guilty ruined his reputation, which made all hell break loose.

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