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

Tragic Hero

In the play “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller there is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a great or victorious character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. The tragic hero also exhibits a tragic character flaw that directly leads to his downfall. John Proctor fits the description due to his traits of a tragic hero. In the play John Proctor had troubles and he had to make the right choices to whom he wanted to effect.

John Proctor has positive traits about him as well as a dark side shown through his affair with Abigail Williams, led to his eventual fatal downfall and the downfall of others as a result. His flaw was that he had a physical attraction for Abigail Williams. When his wife became

He tells Elizabeth "...I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you...I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies..."(II,1270). This shows John's effort in attempting to redeem himself for his sin and wants to make right the troubles his mistake brought upon, because of John's failure to control his craving and resist attraction, his life is being turned upside down by the jealousy and need for revenge of Abigail, marking the beginning of his downfall and path to becoming a tragic hero. However, Proctor was willing to at least reverse the effects of his actions to save others around him, even if he paid for it with his life. John Proctor’s decision to betray his wife causes internal struggles and ultimately leads to his devastation at the

Abigail is a young woman, and she is also an orphan who mistakes John Proctor’s love. When Proctor tells Abigail “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind…” (I, 1246), the girl becomes angry and unhappy. To prove Abigail’s wickedness and to scandal her in front of the court, Proctor states that he had an affair with this evil child. The outraged court officials call Elizabeth Proctor to find the truth. When Elizabeth was asked about her husband, Elizabeth’s soul is twisted, for reporting the truth that could destroy her husband’s reputation, but lying means breaking her solemn oath to God, because she is selfless. Elizabeth chooses to lie and save her husband, but perhaps doom herself to hell for such a sin. This scene indicates dramatic irony, for Proctor knows that which Elizabeth is not aware of, and this is what he has already