John Proctor's Tragic Hero In The Crucible, By Arthur Miller

In his book titled Poetics, Greek philosopher Aristotle expressed his ideas about tragedy. These ideas have been embraced, studied, and considered for hundreds of years. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the main character John Proctor fits the definition of a tragic hero. Throughout the play, examples of Aristotle’s ideas are displayed through what John Proctor does and says. The most significant examples are towards the climax and the end of the play. Proctor is a perfect example of a tragic hero.

Aristotle’s second point states that although the tragic hero is great he or she is not perfect. The hero is human just like the rest of us, but has a higher position in society. John Proctor is looked highly upon in the community and when he is accused of witchcraft, many are against it and irate. Reverend Parris, who is against

The hero discovers something in him- or herself by gaining self-knowledge and increasing awareness. When asked to name others who have dealt with the devil, John refuses. He cannot lie about others just to save himself. Proctor exclaims, “I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another” (Miller 1165) when Danforth insists on getting names from him. Although the refusal of naming others gets him hanged, Proctor finally sees some goodness in himself. He says, of himself, “I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor” (Miller 1166). John Proctor is an excellent example of these three ideas regarding the tragic hero. He fits the other three points as well, but the points stated above are the most prominent. Aristotle’s ideas on tragedy have allowed readers to analyze stories differently. The ideas give way to a different way of thinking of characters in stories. A whole new atmosphere and outlook on the story is discovered. John Proctor is just one of many tragic heroes in the literatures of the world. One only has to open a book and see what’s in