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John Proctor Hero

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When thinking of a hero, many people begin to imagine a strong, courageous character who seeks victory. John Proctor, a character in The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, possesses many of these qualities during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Despite this, the factor that makes him a tragic hero is his inevitable tragic flaw. A tragic hero is an essential character in a play that is destined to experience a tragic downfall. Although Proctor pursues many good actions with ethical intent, his mistakes, pride, and sorrowful downfall, automatically set him up for failure, making him a tragic hero. One main component that contributes to John Proctors’ decline is his realization of the irreversible mistake he made. John Proctor made the mistake …show more content…
But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of your mind. We never touched Abby (Miller 23). Although it is vastly obvious that something has been going on between the two, John thinks it is best to let it go and forget it has ever happened. Abby does not seem to follow through with this idea. While in court, it is clear that Proctor is fully aware, and taking responsibility for his mistake when he confesses, “She wants to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly” (Miller 1120). By admitting this, Proctor ultimately puts his reputation at jeopardy, and it becomes a large factor in determining his ensuing fate. As a whole, John Proctor is an extremely proud character. He uses his reputation and integrity as motivation for most of the decisions he makes. It appears during the play that Proctor cares solely about his name and the honor behind it. This is apparent when Proctor storms, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to

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