Sherrell Miller

November 14, 2014

Pre AP Literature and Composition-2
Mrs. Coe

John Proctor, a Tragic Hero

What is a tragic hero? The definition of a tragic hero is; a great or virtuous character in a
dramatic tragedy that is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. Aristotle has great views on
the tragic hero, which have been used and expanded for several centuries. One of his views is
that the hero's misfortune is not wholly deserved or the punishment exceeds the crime. Another
one of his views is that the fall is not pure loss; there is some increase in awareness, some gain in
self-knowledge, or some discovery on the part of the tragic hero. In The Crucible by Arthur
Miller, John Proctor is the tragic hero.
The tragic part of the tragic hero is that they brought the conundrum they are in upon
themselves. The downfall is not completely of accident or villainy or some malevolent fate, it is
in fact triggered by some error in judgment or a character flaw. John Proctor is a tragic hero
because he made a tragic flaw. John Proctors tragic flaw was infidelity. In Act 1 of The Crucible
John and Abigails affair is introduced. We find out that in a moment of weakness Proctor
succumbs to the attractiveness and sexuality of Abigail.
Abigail worked in the Proctor home when Elizabeth Proctor was ill. In this time John got
little affection and was in a vulnerable state. Abigail saw this and took it as her opportunity to
act, thus starting the perilous affair that leads to Proctors downfall. During the affair Abigail gets
attached to John, and begins to see herself as Mrs. John Proctor. Elizabeth discovers the affair
and fires Abigail and this is when the already erroneous relationship goes bad.
In an attempt to kill Elizabeth, Abigail and her friends get caught practicing voodoo in the
woods. To cover her tracks Abigail claims that people in town are practicing witchcraft. The
town is in a frenzy of blame, deceit, and betrayal. When Abigail claims Elizabeth is practicing

John Proctor, a Tragic Hero

witchcraft Elizabeth is arrested. John promises to Elizabeth he will do anything he can to free
her. As Elizabeth is being taken away John says, I will fall like an ocean on that court.
Not only is it Proctors fault for his wife being arrested but its also Abigails. Proctor tries
to save his wife in multiple attempts. In his first attempt he tells the court that the girls are faking
but they will not be swayed, even with a statement from one of the girls involved. John Proctor
even tries to discredit Abigail by calling her a whore and telling of his infidelity. John said, But
it is a whores vengeance, and you must see it now. Even with this they do not believe John
Proctor although he has now ruined his good name, which was worth a lot in this time.
They even bring Elizabeth out to ask her about the affair but she denies it trying to protect
John. While Mary Warren is trying to tell the truth the other girls turn on her. They claim she is
sending her spirit out to attack them. Mary gets scared so she calls Proctor the Devils man. She
tells them, He wake me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and
I sign, I sign John gets arrested as a result of this.
This is where Johns demise takes place. It is three months later and John Proctor is to be
hanged in a few minutes. Reverend Hale pleads with the judge to let Proctors wife talk him into
a confession. The judge accepts his plea and allows Elizabeth to speak with John. Elizabeth and
John talk and she is successful in getting him to confess. John confesses until they want him to
say he saw others with the Devil. John Proctor may have had a moment of weakness previously
but he was not a weak man.
John took that moment as his time to really turn his life around. To save his name and his
friends name he decided death would be his fate. John Proctor was brought to the gibbet to be

John Proctor, a Tragic Hero

hanged. As he was being lead out Reverend Hale tried to convince Elizabeth to stop him.
Elizabeth said to Hale, He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!
That quote is basically the marking of John Proctors heroism. Through these actions we
see John Proctor transform. In the beginning John Proctor is said to have a sharp and biting way
with hypocrites. He was also known as a man powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily
led. He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of time, but against his own
vision of decent conduct. John Proctor was not only against society and the people involved in
it, he was also against himself.
Although Proctor did not like hypocrites he was a hypocrite. In the third Act we start to
see a change in John Proctor. While he still uses calumny he is kinder. He shows compassion
towards Elizabeth and others he truly cares about. In the fourth act he puts his life on the line to
save others. Proctor is hanged because he didnt want to put his or others names to shame. In the
beginning of the play Proctor seems selfish and callous.
Through John Proctor, Arthur Miller conveys a message of bravery. John Proctor is one of
the bravest characters in The Crucible. Proctor takes control of every situation he is put in. When
Proctor is said to be a Devils man he goes along with it. Through every other dilemma Proctor
has he pushes through.
Johns change can be related to the title of the play. A crucible is a severe, searching test
or trial. These two can relate because it was like proctor was searching for himself throughout the
play. Proctor was looking for an outlet to God. Proctor was looking for a way outside of the
hypocrisy and greed. In the end he found this with pride, honesty, and death.

John Proctor, a Tragic Hero

In conclusion John Proctor is a tragic hero. Proctor made a tragic flaw that is discovered in
the first act, this flaw brought his demise. Even with his own issues John tried to help others and
considered others problems until his death. Through Proctors complications we see Proctor
transform into a more compassionate person. John proctor was the tragic hero that changed
through the course of the play.

Works Cited
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Viking, 1953.