The Tragic Hero of The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay

The Tragic Hero of The Crucible A tragedy should bring fear and pity to the reader. A man in this tragedy should not be exceptionally righteous, but his faults should come about because of a certain irreversible error on his part. This man should find a bad or fatal ending to add to the tragedy of the story, for this man in the tragic hero. The protagonist John Proctor portrays a tragic hero in The Crucible; his hamartia of adultery causes great internal struggles, he displays hubris by challenging authority, and he encounters catastrophe through recognition and reversal. John Proctors decision to betray his wife causes internal struggles and ultimately leads to his catastrophe at the end of the drama. Hamartia†¦show more content†¦Proctor?s hamartia of adultery indirectly causes his jailing and gives him the reputation of a liar. The court views his real truth as a lie and believes he defies authority. Although John Proctor does not truly defy authority in this scene of the play, for he tells the truth and his wife lies, he challenges control in many other instances. John Proctor exposes hubris through his hate of Reverend Parris. Hubris is placing ones self equal to authority or to God, and it is a necessary trait of the tragic hero. John Proctor proclaims that he does not go to Church, an act the court and townspeople view as a revolt on the supremacy of God, because the Reverend Parris is corrupt. Parris is greedy and cares more about the sake of his reputation that the health of his own daughter. Proctor resents the Church because Parris runs it. In the eyes of officials, this casual negligence of God turns Proctor into an unchristian, sinful rebel. Though Proctor?s reasons for disregarding the Church are quite reasonable, people do not accept them in this time of devils and evil. The tragic hero not only places himself as an equal of God, but as an equal of court authority as well. John Proctor insults the court by tearing up a search warrant, and officials later accuse him of trying to overthrow the court because of his controversial eviden ce against Abigail and the girls. When Herrick and Cheever appear at the Proctor home to capture and take awayShow MoreRelated John Proctor is a Tragic Hero in The Crucible by Arthur Miller688 Words   |  3 Pagestimes of the ancient Greeks, tragic heroes have been used to enhance the meaning of a play or literary work. Any character cannot be described as tragic hero. Several key characteristics are necessary for the tragic hero to possess in order to be characterized as such. He must be high-ranked or have a high standing in the community. He must have a weakness or a tragic flaw and be involved in a struggle. In the end, that struggle will lead to his downfall. 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