John Proctor A Tragic Hero Essay

What Makes Someone a Tragic Hero?

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

John Proctor’s mistakes led to the hysteria in Salem. After John ended things with Abigail, she got very angry and started rumors that witchcraft was rising in Salem. As one of the main characters, Abigail sparked outrage and fear in Salem. Once people started hearing about witchcraft, many people began accusing other people of committing witchcraft. Perhaps, if John never made the mistake of having an affair with Abigail, none of this would have happened. John Proctor could have easily tried to end the hysteria by making things right with Abigail. Instead, after debating whether or not to tell the truth, he then confessed that he had an affair with Abigail so that the court would see her true motives. The hysteria in The Crucible compares to McCarthyism. Senator Joseph McCarthy began blaming people for being communists so that he could gain more political power. He made these accusations without solid evidence. Abigail relates to him because the main reason she began making accusations was so she could have more power as a teenage girl. John Proctor relates to the people who were being accused of being communists. They were too afraid to speak up and stand up for themselves. McCarthyism came to an end when people started seeing what McCarthy was really doing. Also, a series of court hearings helped end the accusations. In the play, confessions and court decisions lead to the termination of accusations of witchcraft. John Proctor also helped to end the hysteria by coming forward about what was actually