Tragic hero, John Proctor

A Tragic Hero: John Proctor in “The Crucible”

A tragic hero is a figure in literature who has fatal faults or makes mistakes in judgment. The character suffers tragedy as a result of external circumstances and fate. In the drama “The Crucible,” John Proctor is presented as the tragic hero with the most faults. He has a crush on his young housekeeper, and he attempts to conceal the adulatory crime he has done for fear of being banished to a distant town or ruining his high position. However, this event sets off a chain of events, and the unsubstantiated claim causes internal strife and subsequent calamities. This article examines why John Proctor is a tragic hero in Shakespeare’s play.

Proctor’s Faults and the Consequences

First, Proctor is a respected man in Salem. However, he continues making severe and permanent mistakes in defining his fate that harms his society’s status. He initially tries to hide his mistakes, but the affair triggers more severe events in society. In the end, he had to admit his affair with the teenage house servant for the sake of desperate situations, and it was too late to reverse any of his actions (Miller). He was also convicted of witchcraft, and his punishment was death.

Accepting Mistakes and Consequences

In the play, he attempted to save his wife from witchcraft and accepts his crime of lechery. From accepting his act, he had planned to show the house servant’s real motive because of accusing his wife. ’A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that… She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it, I set myself entirely in your hands’ (Miller). This earns him views of disapproval and is later jailed together with his wife.

The Tragic Flaws and Noble Characteristics

Proctor contains most elements of a tragic hero, peripeteia, hamartia, and owns most noble characters despite not being born in a noble background. In the play, his tragic flaws and the hubristic character lead to the proctor’s death. He also had much pride, which has been illustrated in parts of the play. He refused to confess his mistakes and opted to die rather than ruining his reputation.

The Tragic Fate and Good Human Characters

At the end of the play, he endures all receptacles and stands with his philosophies and beliefs but was convicted. He tries to save himself during judgment, but all his efforts lead him to more trouble until it was too late and could not escape the consequences of his deeds. He had temporarily neglected his wife, and principles die to las, which landed him at the work position in his life. His fate was tragic in the play, but he still portrayed some good human characters, which made him an exceptional tragic character.

A Man of Courage and Dignity

Proctor fought for his loved ones and his reputations entirely despite his flaws. He was a man of courage and dignity in the play. However, he had some flaws and the Fatale tragedy he encountered, like being in an affair with a teenage girl. During his trials, he was sympathetic despite the evil deeds and evoked sympathy from his audience. The audience feels sorry for him as he tries to set out most things around him right, but it all ends in misery. This makes him an exceptional tragic hero in the play.

Work cited

Miller, Arthur. “The Crucible (1953).” The New York Times (1953): 15.