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The Crucible, a Tragedy?

Decent Essays

Lauren Kendrick Ms. Todd English 11 7 November 11 The Crucible: A Tragedy One day in November of 2009 a young girl was killed in a hit and run by a negligent driver. Her name was Courtney Snipes; she was only 11 years old. Courtney’s family suffered from tragedy much like the characters in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. These characters lost dozens of their neighbors all because of one group of girl’s ability to lie. Through Aristotle’s definition of what a tragedy in literature is; The Crucible can be easily defined as being a one with its tragic hero being portrayed through John Proctor, the feeling of catharsis, and the seriousness of the overall play. John Proctor is a perfect example of a tragic hero. John …show more content…

John had even said “Because its my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!” (143). This quote clearly shows John’s anger about loosing his name to something so unjust as the witch trails. What also makes the play so serious is what happens to the character, especially their bitter ends, for example Giles Corey was pressed to death because he wouldn’t reveal an informant. Through the tragic hero characteristics that John Proctor has shown, the feeling of the catharsis at the end of the play, and the overall seriousness of the play proves that The Crucible is most definitely a tragedy. It’s hard to believe a tragedy so intense and so lucrative like this has happened in literature and in the world, and hopefully society has learned its lesson, however history has been said to repeat

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