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

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No one thinks about how fast people can turn on eachother, until it’s too late. “The Crucible '' is a play written by Arthur Miller that is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, and shows what happens when witchcraft quickly turns people against each other. The play focuses on a small community where some members have been accused of witchcraft. One of the main characters, John Proctor who is a farmer, is one of the accused of witchcraft along with his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. In this story, John Proctor is seen as a tragic hero, who is someone who is of noble stature, has a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to a downfall and experiences meaningful suffering. The tragic hero is someone great, but not perfect, and is often someone the audience can see themselves as. John Proctor is a tragic hero because he is noble in character, he has a tragic flaw, he suffers greatly, and he finds redemption at the end of the story. John Proctor is noble because he is honest and willing to do what is right even when it’s hard. This is seen in Act II when he says, “No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed!” (Miller). Proctor takes responsibility for his actions and admits his mistakes to his wife. I think this shows that he was willing to put his own …show more content…

In Act IV, when John says, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang!” (Miller), it shows his commitment to his integrity. Proctor finds redemption here because he is willing to die for his beliefs rather than lie to save his life. By choosing death, he is making the ultimate sacrifice to save his reputation. Proctor proves his redemption for his past mistakes, by tearing up his confession and choosing to die to maintain his