John Proctor Tragic Hero Essay

A tragic hero is a literary character of great virtue who has a fatal flaw that eventually leads to his downfall. What makes the character a tragic hero is a self-awareness and reversal of the tragic flaw that draws the empathy of the reader. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is the tragic hero because of his indiscretion and his conceit to maintain his good name which leads to his demise and eventual death. One trait of a tragic hero is that the character must be noble or a person of stature within the story. John Proctor is a well-respected member of the community viewed as truthful, honest, and looked upon as a leader in times of trouble. While John Proctor appeared to be virtuous, he was keeping a secret. John had an affair with Abigail Williams, a household worker. The affair caused John to struggle with overwhelming guilt and the destruction of his marriage. This exemplifies another trait of a tragic hero, a fatal flaw. Not only is John’s fatal flaw his indiscretion, but also his pride to maintain his good name within the Puritan community. Admission
His second fatal flaw is his own pride and attempt to maintain his status in the community. John struggles with the guilt from the transgression and the fear of it becoming public and losing his good name. When faced with the dilemma of public admission to save his wife, John has a personal discovery and tells the truth in which he admits to the affair. He also refused to falsely admit to witchcraft which eventually leads to his death. Although he makes mistakes and exhibits flaws, in the end he chooses to do the right thing, which causes the reader to feel grief for John due to the fate he is given. This is the final trait of a tragic hero, the reader’s ability to relate and feel pity for the