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

Tragic Hero Qualities in The Crucible

The definition of a tragic hero by Greek philosopher Aristotle is “A protagonist with a fatal flaw which eventually leads to his downfall....The tragic hero must have four characteristics: goodness, superiority, a tragic flaw, and the eventual realization that his decisions or actions have caused his downfall.” The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a play that takes place in Salem during the witch trials in 1692. During this time, hundreds of people were falsely accused of witchcraft and were hanged or lied to save their lives. John Proctor, a wealthy and self conscious protagonist in the book is accused of witchcraft. John Proctor experiences a mental fall from the top to bottom, suffers from his own mistakes, and experiences epiphany and catharsis while realizing his fate. John Proctor resembles a tragic hero.

“Proctor- well respected and even feared in Salem has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud” (Miller 20). In the beginning of the play, Proctor is introduced as a well-known man who is well respected because of his large amount of land in Salem. As the play goes on further, his reputation and favorable image starts to change in a negative way. “(Pointing at Proctor) You’re the Devil’s man!... I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God… He come at me by night and every day to sign, to sign…My name, he want my name” (Miller 118). John Proctor was well respected and now his life is completely going downhill by being accused of working with the Devil. His reputation is soiled, and John will really suffer immensely from this great