What is a tragic hero? Is it someone who's been wrong? Because then aren't villains tragic heroes? Should it be someone who's found a way to be good through all the bad? Then that would work for those who purposefully committed the crime. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about the Witch Trials in Salem during 1692. These townspeople are being wrongfully accused of being witches (which never existed) by the vengeful girls of the town, and soon later partners or neighbors. Abigail Williams had previously worked in the Proctor’s house until she slept with John and was kicked out, but she still believed he loved her and fought to get rid of his wife to get with him. John Proctor fits the position of a tragic hero because of his courage, sacrifice for the truth, and his internal conflict about the sin he committed. …show more content…
When John stood up for Elizabeth while she was being arrested, he knew there would be consequences. He ripped up the arrest warrant and yelled at them “We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrants vengeance!” to protect his wife. He also showed courage when he admitted to his affair with Abigail in open court even though he knew it was a sin, and that it would ruin his reputation. John Proctor is a tragic hero because of his sacrifice for the truth. When Danforth offers to let Elizabeth live for a whole year (because she's pregnant) in exchange for dropping the charges that the girls are lying, he refuses because he knows what the girls are doing is wrong. He sees what's happening and knows that it won't end well if he keeps letting this happen. This theme is also seen while he was being hanged. He knew that people saw him as an honorable man so when they saw him praying as he was hanged, they started questioning the trials further, which (no pun intended) led to the end of the