John Proctor As A Tragic Hero

Tragic heroes are found everywhere throughout literature. A tragic hero is a character who makes a mistake that leads to his or her downfall. According to Aristotle, “A man does not become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the protagonist John Proctor is a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle. Proctor makes mistakes and eventually admits what he has done, which leads to his death. Tragic heroes must have certain characteristics, including error of judgement, a reversal of fortune, recognition that their actions bring the reversal of fortune, excessive pride, and a fate greater than deserved. John Proctor shows all of these in the play.
John Proctor’s error of judgement come when he commits
I shall have my life” (136). This is where he again recognizes that his error of judgement has caused his reversal of fortune because he now must tell the court a lie. After the confession is written up and Proctor signs it, Danforth wants to put it on the church door, but Proctor refuses. “It is my name! Because I cannot not have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name.” This is John Proctor’s excessive pride. He cannot stand to see his name used to get others to confess. Proctor is so worried about his name that he is willing to give his life rather than see it on the door of the church. His excessive pride thus leads to his “fate greater than deserved” which is death.
In the end of the play, John Proctor dies a tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is exactly how one could describe John Proctor. After recognizing his flawed judgement, attempting to fix it, and trying to keep his name, Proctor causes his own inevitable downfall. Proctor is just one of many tragic heroes found throughout stories; however, he will forever be known as one of the most