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

A tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, John Proctor, according to Aristotle’s definition, can be well defined as a tragic hero due to his nobility, irreversible mistakes, serious error in judgment, and eventually a tragic death. John Proctor has the possibility to succeed, but is trapped in a situation and has no way out. Everything he executes throughout the play, describes the ideal definition of a tragic hero. In regards to real life historical facts, John Proctor would fit the role of the amazing Martin Luther King Jr.. First, John Proctor was born into nobility. He is one of the very high ranked and well respected men throughout Salem. Miller stated, “Proctor, respected and even feared in Salem, has come to regard himself as a kind of

John Proctor was always a well respected and honored guy throughout all of Salem. When the people figures out that he is going to be hanged for something that he does not take part in, it is displeasing. The audience did not want to see him go. John was being an honest man and was dying for something that he had no business in being involved with. They could not believe John was dying for witchcraft, even when he confessed his true story about the affair with Abigail. Elizabeth fears it is all her fault. She states, “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery” (Miller 1162). It’s a shame that Elizabeth has to feel this way about herself because of what is about to happen to her husband whom she loves very much. To the audience, it’s disappointing for all of this to be happening at once. The audience feared what was to come in the community as a result of all of these deaths. They think so highly of Proctor, it worries them what riots and chaos is going to brake lose in Salem after these innocent people get