The Crucible John Proctor Tragic Hero

At any given time, someone in the world is acting as a hero. Whether it be an innocent bystander retrieving an old woman’s stolen purse, or a man who selflessly launches himself towards an active shooter. The real world is filled with heroes, as well as the fictional world. Heros appear in all shapes and sizes, and can be classified in different ways. One classification is a tragic hero, which is defined as “...someone who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his or her own destruction” (Bainbridge Island School District). In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor serves as a tragic hero, which is exemplified in the examination of his imperfection, and the catharsis readers experience at the end of the play.

John Proctor posses a

PROCTOR, angering: I know I cannot keep it. I say I will think on it!

ELIZABETH, hurt, and very coldly: Good, then, let you think on it” (Miller 53).

Proctor discovers Mary Warren left to Salem, for she is an official of the court. This frustrates him, and he questions why there is a court. Elizabeth tells him of Abigail’s wild accusations, and the two conclude that she must be stopped. Because doing so would tarnish her reputation, Elizabeth suggests Proctor tells the court of Abigail’s sins. It would certainly decrease her reliability, but Abigail’s sin is also Proctor’s sin. Elizabeth’s suggestion angers Proctor; therefore, kickstarting an argument that illuminates the couple’s division. John Proctor is not the only hero

Smith 2 who has succumbed to adultery. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus commits adultery twice. He is unfaithful to the beautiful Penelope, and instead turns to Calypso and Circe. Both Odysseus and John Proctor are unfaithful to their wives, yet that does not stop them from being heros. Likewise to Odysseus, Proctor is also noble. Proctor’s nobility shines in the last Act as he tears the paper in which he signed his false