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

hat is a Hero? According to Dictionary.com the definition of a hero is, “1. a man of distinguished courage, admired by his brave deeds and noble qualities. 3. the principle male character in a story.” A tragic hero is, “ a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.” The downfall, suffering, or defeat is usually caused by an error in judgment or a tragic flaw. A tragic hero is usually overcome by evil, but through his struggles gains self-knowledge and wisdom. Aristotle once said, “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” The question to be answered is, “Was John Proctor of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible a tragic hero?” John Proctor made an error in

It starts with what could be the most important event of the play, John’s adultery. John cheated on his sick wife with a servant, Abby Williams. His wife, Elizabeth, found out about his affair and forgave him for it. However, John could not forgive himself. The servant, Abby, was in love with John, and was convinced that he loved her. Sadly for Abby, John loved his wife and was happy with her. Abby thought that if John’s wife was dead he would be hers. She knew of only one way to kill Elizabeth and that was through the devil and witchcraft. With her friends, Abby went into the woods to conjure the Devil. The girls drank a charm that they believed would kill Elizabeth. This is how the whole thing got started. John knew that Abby and her friends were up to no good. He knew they were lying and accusing innocent people of witchcraft. Yet, he did nothing to stop them. John’s error in judgment was costly. Ironically, in the end Elizabeth lives and it is John who

Before being hung John was offered a way to save his life. All he had to do was confess to witchcraft in exchange for life in jail. John was faced with the decision to live and dishonor his family or to die falsely accused. Reverend Hale tried to convince John to confess and save himself. However, John knew that confessing was lying and that the lie would only make his after-life worse. He asked Elizabeth for advice and she told him to follow his heart. John decided to falsely admit to witchcraft, but when asked to sign the confession he instead took it and ripped it up. John hated that his family would be dishonored with his lie. He rather die. Now, that takes guts and courage. John Proctor stood up for what he believed in, even when the result of his courage was