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The Crucible John Proctor Tragic Hero

Decent Essays

Aristotle, in his book The Poetics, describes what makes a good tragedy. One of the elements of a tragedy is a tragic hero. The tragic hero is a noble person who struggles with a situation. Because of an error in judgement, the hero suffers, and others face the same calamity. Despite this tragic outcome, the hero gains knowledge to help him make decisions. In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, John Proctor, the protagonist, portrays the characteristics of such a tragic hero because he has excessive pride, a reversal of fortune, and an error in judgement.
Proctor’s excessive pride contributes to being a tragic hero by making him stubborn. When Proctor has given his verbal confession, Danforth wants him to do a written confession. Proctor refuses shouting profusely, “I have given you my soul, leave me my name” (1232). This quote shows how Proctor values his and his family’s reputation. Due to his pride, he is willing to lose his life. Even the characters in the play know Proctor has excessive pride. When Hale is trying to convince Elizabeth to get Proctor to confess he warns her, “God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride” (1225). Reverend Hale …show more content…

When Proctor is lead out of the jail to Elizabeth he is described as such, “his wrists are chained…bearded, filthy, his eyes misty as though webs had overgrown them” (1225). When Proctor got involved in lechery with Abigail, he thought of it as comfort. Proctor did not expect Abigail to become an envious harlot out for vengeance. When Proctor is trying to convince Danforth that Abigail is lying about the witch trials, he confesses about his adultery. Things take a disastrous turn when Proctor aguishly says, “Elizabeth, I have confessed it!” (1208). Elizabeth denied the confession which made them look like liars. This leads to more trouble because they’re condemned as witches and can not defend themselves. This, also, leads to his

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