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

What makes a tragic hero? There are many examples throughout American Literature that could answer this question. One of which is John Proctor from the famous play, “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller. He contains all the necessary criteria of the definition of a tragic hero. John Proctor portrays a tragic hero in “The Crucible” because he is considered a respected man, he possesses a tragic flaw of pride, and he gains wisdom by the end of the play. John Proctor is considered a man in high reverence at the beginning of the play by his family and others even though he is an outsider. The characters have varied opinions on John Proctor throughout the play. He is inclined to speak his mind on numerous occasions when there is something important

John’s self-respect is his most prized possession. As the play progresses, John’s flaw becomes more evident, as he tries to keep his good reputation despite committing sins that could damage it. He continually attempts to protect his sacred name by saying “because it is my name! I cannot have another in my life! […] How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave my name!” (143). John would rather give up things much more valuable rather than soil his noble status. His unwillingness to confess to his crime in order to save his name lead to the hanging of various characters. He also holds himself higher than others throughout the play. He compares himself to other characters and believes he is more important when he says “You will not use me! I am no Sarah Good or Tituba, I am John Proctor! […] It is not part of salvation that you should use me!” (142). His pride leads him to think that he can be regarded as better than other individuals. John believes that he does not deserve to be treated like others. His sins are not to be judged like other’s sins, he believes others should “look sometimes for the goodness in [him], and judge [him] not” (55). His pride blinds him to think he deserves to keep his good reputation even though he sins. He would rather die with his name, then be considered a convict, sinner, or witch publicly. John’s pride for his reputation and judgement of