To What Extent Is John Proctor A Tragic Hero
Was John Proctor a Tragic Hero?
Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible" is a powerful exploration of the Salem witch trials of 1692, in which innocent people were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. One of the central characters in the play is John Proctor, a farmer who is caught up in the hysteria and ultimately faces his own downfall.This essay will argue that John Proctor is a tragic hero, using the elements of tragedy and Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero to support this claim.
The first element of tragedy is the tragic hero's flaw, or hamartia. In John Proctor's case, his flaw is his pride. He is a man of integrity who refuses to compromise his principles, but he is also aware of his own reputation in the community. When his
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This occurs when a hero’s fortune changes dramatically, often as a result of their own actions. In John Proctor’s case, his reversal of fortune occurs when he confesses to his adultery and signs a false confession to save his life. Although he has previously refused to lie or compromise his principles, he now finds himself caught up in a web of deceit that he cannot escape.
The third element of tragedy is the hero’s recognition, or anagnorisis. This is a moment of realization in which the hero understands the true nature of their situation. For John Proctor, this moment comes when he tears up the false confession and chooses to be hanged rather than compromise his integrity. He realizes that his pride has led him down the wrong path, and that he must pay the ultimate price for his actions.
Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero includes several key characteristics. The hero must be of noble birth, have a tragic flaw, and suffer a reversal of fortune. The hero must also experience a moment of recognition, and their downfall must evoke feelings of pity and fear in the audience. John Proctor meets all of these criteria, as he is a respected member of the community, has a fatal flaw in his pride, suffers a dramatic reversal of fortune, experiences a moment of recognition, and ultimately meets a tragic end that evokes feelings of pity and
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788 Words | 4 PagesEven a hero can face tragedy. This very much applies to the tragic hero in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. John Proctor, a man who lived in Arthur Miller's fictional Salem, is by all accounts a tragic hero. The Crucible is about the town of Salem, Massachusetts and how all the residents turned against each other all because of two people, a man who committed adultery and a jealous teenager. There must be certain requirements fulfilled to be considered a tragic hero.
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220 Words | 1 PagesThe next quality that makes John Proctor a tragic hero is having a tragic flaw. John Proctor went through many tragic flaws during the story. For example, on page 894 John Proctor decides not to be interested in Abigail no more and he says, “I will cut of my hand before I will ever touch you again.” This ends to John’s tragic flaw because eventually this will lead him to go to court to save his wife. Another Example, On page 916 John and Elizabeth has gotten into an argument about the situation that was going on between him and Abby.
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502 Words | 3 PagesJohn Proctor could be considered a tragic hero in The Crucible. A tragic hero is a person who a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall. John is also a very respected man in Salem and he had a prominent role in his community. WIth every tragic hero they have a great flaw that can help with their downfall. Therefore we are lead to believe that John Proctor is a tragic hero.
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788 Words | 4 PagesPride was his tragic flaw and eventually was the cause of his death, fulfilling the definition of a tragic hero. The Crucible is considered a tragedy because of its themes of human suffering and the somber feelings it evokes from its’ audience, its’ use of John Proctor as a tragic hero, and his tragic flaw, pride, playing an instrumental role in his death. By definition, a tragedy is a piece of work which carries the theme of human suffering and also evokes a feeling of
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777 Words | 4 PagesThe Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is categorized as a dramatic tragedy, and all tragedies, by definition, have a tragic hero. So who is that hero? In this story, it would be John Proctor. According to Aristotle there are five characteristics of a tragic hero, he must have a flaw or error of judgement, he must cause his own downfall, he must recognize that he caused his own downfall, he must have pride, and his fate must be greater than he deserved. In this play, John Proctor has all of these characteristics.
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648 Words | 3 PagesHe died because of his pride. His faults, the pathos the reader feels, and his death brought upon by pride are all pieces of evidence that backup the claim that John Proctor from Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible aligns tone for tone with Aristotle's definition of a tragic
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