Is John Proctor A Tragic Hero In The Crucible

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a greatly revered work, and it reflected the times of America in the days of McCarthyism. Perhaps the character that connected to the audience most was John Proctor, the protagonist of the play. He reflects the mistakes that we have made in our lives, and the struggle that some of have while trying to take the blindfold off of other people. He should be considered a hero because he feels guilt, and therefore tries to make up for the fact that he once had an affair. He also goes on and tries to explain to an unforgiving crowd that the witch hunts are a fake, and that it is all led by a lovesick girl.

In the Crucible, many of the characters go through changes because of the intensity of the situation. But there is only one character that I think changed the most, and that is John Proctor who is the protagonist of the novel The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I think that John Procotor changes the most in the Crucible because he is in every act and mostly in every scene, and throughtout  the play I see more drama (Dynamic Character) in him than any other character in the Crucible and I will go through and tell you how John Proctor changes in the Crucible.

“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! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”(1272). These words by John Proctor exemplify his character by making, in my opinion, not a very wise decision. In the play The Crucible, John Proctor’s unwillingness can be seen as selfish because others hung before he confessed his affair with Abigail but he redeemed himself by undoing his confession and refusing to sell the court other names, which Arthur Miller used to convey a message about a crucible being put through a fire/trial and coming out in its purest form, through the character of John

John Proctor was a man of honor and had a well respected name in the town of Salem. Sadly he died tragically but as a hero. He was hanged because he was accused of doing the devil’s work. He was given the chance to save his life if he admitted on a piece of paper that he was working with the devil but he refused to tell that lie. He wanted his sons to be able to walk the streets without being shunned from the world because they deserved better. John Proctor didn’t want his name to be the ruined because he felt that was all he had left. John Proctor was tragically killed for a sin he had not committed but was found a hero because people followed in his footsteps by not confessing to something they didn’t do.

John Proctor, the protagonist of The Crucible, qualifies as a tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw, is ethically superior to the other characters in the play, and struggles to find peace with himself in midst of the lies and chaos during this play. John Proctor possesses a tragic flaw that forces him to hide his prideful mistake, which eventually brings about his downfall. I guess the old saying is true, “Pride comes before the fall”.

Death, can tear anyone apart, but when it's for a cause it can open a family, friends, or even a nation's eyes. When a national icon dies for a cause it can a can make the whole nation take a step back and look at what's really going on. An excellent examples are John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, or in this case John Proctor from The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. In this play people are being hanged for an accusation of witchcraft, which is necessary to restore the social justice in Salem. This play can be compared to history, with information about the play itself, and lastly how the tragic hero's death makes a difference in this play.

Adultery is one of the most common of the 10 commandments broken. Around 22% of adults have cheated on their partner. In The Crucible, John Proctor is seen as an honest and trustworthy man to turn to during the witch trials. The secret of John and Abigail’s affair is released and he is soon discredited as a respected resident. Although he is no longer respected, he is no longer believed to be a hero. John Proctor is considered a hero because he displays perseverance, sacrifice, and faithfulness.

By definition a Tragic Hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error or come in contact with a fatal flaw that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction. John Proctor, a farmer in the play The Crucible, is debated as a tragic hero. John Proctor suffers from a tragic flaw that leads to his demise, that fatal flaw is his excessive pride.

What would you do if you were involved in hysteria? How would you try to stop it from hurting the people who are most important to you? Would you let your own secrets stop you from doing the right thing? In The Crucible, John Proctor is dragged down by his flaws of guilt and lust. His journey shows that honesty and loyalty are very important traits to have. He redeems himself by being selfless and helping other people rather than thinking of himself. John Proctor qualifies as a tragic hero because his wrongdoings lead to his downfall. This downfall helps John to forgive himself which makes him a better person at the end of the story. In the face of hysteria, John decides not to focus on himself, instead he

Arthur Asher Miller was born on October 17, 1915 in Harlem, NY, and was the son of two Polish immigrants. His father owned a successful clothing shop and the family was wealthy until the stock market crash of 1929, the start of the Great Depression. The family moved to Brooklyn afterwards. Unable to go college after high school, Miller worked numerous odd jobs until he was accepted into the University of Michigan. There he wrote his first play, No Villain. Miller’s playwright professor was Kenneth Rowe, who taught him various techniques to create intricate plays. Due to a college football injury, he was not in active service during World War II, thus starting his writing career.

John Proctor is a good man despite anything others may say about him. He displays three very noble qualities throughout the witch trials which are bravery, honesty, and an overall goal to save lives even to the point where he sacrificed his. While many argue John is a bad man because he committed adultery they are entirely mistaken. Just because he had one bad sin gives no right to anybody to call him a bad person when clearly the good side of him is shown more than the bad. John Proctor is a good man who displays the characteristics of a hero and could be seen as one for giving his life for his friends.

The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, in the 1950. The story setting begins in a small town called Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Two of the characters that played important roles in this story were John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor. These two characters were a married couple who lived on the outskirts of Salem, Massachusetts. John Proctor displayed himself as an honest hard working man, who had only one secret. This secret was his affair with Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams was trying to get rid of Elizabeth, because she wanted to take over her spot as John Proctors wife. Due to Abigail's jealousy and revenge for Elizabeth she mentions Elizabeth's name during the Salem witch trials which causes nothing but chaos. During this chaos, John Proctor displayed traits of being short tempered and aggressive. The characteristics of anger, aggression, innocence and compassion where portrayed by John and Elizabeth Proctor in the story The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

Another point in which John proves himself a good man comes in the beginning of act three when Danforth offers Proctor a year with his wife, “if she begin to show her natural signs, you shall have her living yet another year until she is delivered-- what say you to that?” Danforth asks. Proctor, proving his own righteousness with, “I--I think I cannot...These are my friends. Their wives are also accused.” Proctor Denies Danforth’s proposal despite how much he longs for his wife, in order to help save the others. Furthermore, Proctor is a tragic hero because he is destined to be a martyr, and in the process of martyring himself he helps stop trials. From the beginning Proctor has made it more than known how

In The Crucible, John Proctor’s tragic flaw-his considerable amount of dignity-drove him to his ruinous death, establishing him as the tragic hero.

Antagonist: Abigail Williams stirs up the entire town of Salem against many people, including Elizabeth and John Proctor, because of her selfish ambition to be John’s next wife, as well as her treacherous lust for the power that she gains by accusing innocent people of witchcraft. She even threatens the girls that if they tell the truth (that shes lying ) then she’d – ‘..come to them in the black of some terrible night and shudder them’. She is threatening and clearly evil and the villain.