The Crucible John Proctor Tragic Hero

John Proctor: A dirty hero?

A tragic hero is defined as a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. In The Crucible, a town wide crisis is spreading quicker than a wildfire. This crisis is caused by the accusations of people practicing witchcraft. Among those who are accused is John Proctor. Now, John Proctor may seem like any other farmer, however, he is generally well liked and even looked up to by other towns people. He can be grouped as a tragic hero quite easily, as John has a dirty little secret. John committed adultery against his wife, Elizabeth with a young girl named Abigail. His pride comes into question as he attempts to redeem himself of his sin.

John’s affair with Elizabeth causes quite the downfall. He can be blamed for the witch trials that ensue. You may think it is solely Abigail’s fault as she is the not only the one who performs witchcraft, but also the one who starts the false accusations of innocent people performing witchcraft. However, the sole reason she performs witchcraft is to kill Elizabeth Proctor. Why would she want Elizabeth dead? She refuses to believe the night spent with John was a onetime thing. Abigail then started to list names of those who were associated with witchcraft causing the mass accusations. Thus, John’s decision to have

Mary Warren turns against him and sides with Abigail. This leads him to what he wanted to avoid, ruining his name or having his wife killed? He makes the right choice in exposing Abigail, but to no avail. His wife chooses to defend Johns name and dignity when she is questioned by Danforth by denying that he cheated. He is then arrested for perjury and witchcraft. All of his good intentions have are blocked due to his past. Even when he attempts to do good bad luck still comes his way, adding to him being a tragic hero. However, his bad luck does not end right