John Proctor Flaws

The Crucible uses John Proctor as the tragic hero in the play to show the struggles of a tormented individual living in a paranoid society. The four qualities that are essential to be a tragic hero is that a character must be noble, the hero is pre-eminently great but not perfect, hero’s flaw would lead to his downfall and that the hero’s misfortune is not fully deserved. Proctor represents these traits because he is a noble farmer that is respected throughout the community and his flaws would lead to his downfall, even though he is wrongfully convicted for a crime he did not commit. His pride is also a factor that he cannot control leading to various conflicts. Proctor’s self inflicted wounds were evident at the beginning of the play when

“My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!” Proctor is frustrated with Mary Warren denying to come to the court to testify with him. Giles Corey wife is convicted and also Rebecca Nurse which goes back to the beginning of the play when accusations of witchcraft were due to Abigail. Proctor realizes that he could be the reason why all the people in Salem are being prosecuted or being hanged.When Proctor shows up to the court he is pleading on the behalf of his wife claiming that she is innocent and the children are pretending to being bewitched. Eventually he becomes desperate using his own affair as means to use against Abigail claiming she is a liar. Proctor is showing characteristics of a tragic hero in this scene because he is willing to do anything to save his wife even to risk his own reputation from the town. Judge Danforth therefore questions Elizabeth if John is an adulterer and she refuses this claim. Ironically this shows John’s goodness, willingly to acknowledge his own sins in order to save his wife. Proctors last line of defense is to use Mary Warren attest for evidence against the supposed bewitched children. Proctor is angered with Mary Warren because her weakness is what is costing him his argument and that it is a reflection of himself. Mary Warren eventually

Even though Proctor’s death was inevitable he realized that he could forgive himself and regain his good name. Arthur Miller used Proctor to ascend to an extraordinary human to fight in what he believes was right even if it costed him his life. Proctor’s life was not in vain because he proved that he would not sell out to an unjust court. Proctor went to the gallows as a courageous man and died as an