Tragic Hero in The Crucible Essay examples -- The Crucible Arthur Mill

Tragic Hero in The Crucible What is a tragic hero? The most well known definition of a tragic hero comes from the great philosopher, Aristotle. When depicting a tragic hero, Aristotle states "The change in the hero's fortunes be not from misery to happiness, but on the contrary, from happiness to misery, and the cause of it must not lie in any wickedness but in some great error on his part.† In addition, he explains the four essential qualities that a tragic hero should possess, which are goodness, appropriateness, lifelike, and consistency. All of these necessities help to classify the character of John Proctor as the tragic hero of the play. Not only does he unfortunately fall to desolation, but also his character captures the sympathy and pity from the audience or readers. A tragic hero is also known to be someone who brings about their own death, through a flaw within their character or through their actions. Proctor's downfall in the play is initiated by a human error, which to a great extent qualifies him to be the tragic hero. Is John Proctor a tragic hero? In this essay I will be exploring his character, personality, and relationship towards others. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, depicts the story of the Salem witch-hunt and the chaos it caused. One of the main characters is John Proctor. Proctor is put through many life-changing decisions. In many cases, a decision he made in one situation led to another problem. Miller sets ‘The Crucible’ in a Puritan community in Salem, Massachusetts, in the spring of 1692. The Puritans were a group of religious separatists who sought to worship God in uncomplicated and basic ways. They built their own houses, made their own furniture, and did... ...himself harshly. Before Abigail came and ruined his peace, he was always sure of himself. After Abigail, he was sure that nothing he would ever do would be pure and honest again. Proctor’s â€Å"tragic hero† status was illustrated by his efforts to save his wife from being put to death, his attempt to prove the children are making fraudulent claims, and his unwillingness to confess to practicing witchcraft when accused. Personally I believe all humans are created with flaws, which control our emotions and often twist our lives. We are put into predications because we are having a hard time of controlling them; therefore we just let them flow. John Proctor’s flaws were his faith, the belief of his own dignity, and his pride, that eventually put in to death. He is a tragic hero that dies of his own flaw, which brought up our sympathy and our fear of death.