The Crucible John Proctor Tragic Hero Essay

“The Crucible” is a play written by Arthur Miller that takes place in the town of Salem in between 1692 and 1693 where the delusion of witches was rampant in what was known as the Salem witch trials. In Miller’s dramatization of the events, characters go through changes, they evolve as individuals, but one of them, that of John Proctor changes the most. John Proctor is a tragic hero because as the play continues the audience sees a goodness in him, but as it ends his own overwhelming pride replaces reason, which leads to his demise.
In the beginning of the play John proctor can be seen talking to Abigail alone; in a conversation of what to do about their relationship, John tells Abigail of his feelings for her by saying “Abby I may think of

In this argument, John can be heard saying “Spare me! You forget nothing, learn charity woman.” John was, of course talking about Abigail and her messy entanglement in his life, her affect on the marriage is great. John exemplifies his anger toward Elizabeth for his own mistakes because he is ashamed. The person that he is in the play cannot express shame at the current time so he blames other people for his own. Too proud to ask for forgiveness for his sins because he doesn't want to. John says “Spare me!” not in a wholehearted way, but one created out of spite because of Elizabeth's coldness toward him in the months after the

John, furious of the actions taking place in front of him says this “My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth, but that goodness will not die for me.” This quote is pivotal in the evolution of John's character because in the wake of the false allegation of witchcraft against his wife that he knows he caused, something in him is struck, a moral code to say that can never be bent or broken, it has come out in response to the events unfolding even though he had been treated with a cold shoulder for months. What is surprising here is that his pride is brushed off in order to make way for the truth, finally after some time feeling substantially more guilty of the choices he made with Abigail than ever