Joh John Proctor As A Hero

Kassie Carlisle The Tragedy of Being a Hero The word hero is defined as a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Most people known as heros are perfect, letting nothing get the best of them, and putting others before themselves. In history, not everyone labelled a hero has supernatural abilities or a perfect slate, but are those that have risen from the ashes and have become someone new. In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, he discusses the Salem Witch Trials, and how even a hero can emerge from those horrific times. John Proctor, a man caught in his sins and wrongdoings, is accused of witchcraft and has to go through the consequences of his actions, but his love for others and his tragic flaws accompany his downfall, making him more of a hero than those without imperfections. John Proctor’s initial impression was a negative one, giving off the ambience of being a strict, adulterous man because of his affair with Abigail, on of his biggest flaws. …show more content…
In a conversation with Abigail, John said, “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut of my hand before I ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby.” His behavior towards Abigail is cold, and in my opinion, uncalled for. His decision to sleep with Abigail was his choice, and even if he regrets and swears it won’t happen again, he can’t change the fact that he slept with her. Talking to Parris, John says, “Can you speak one minute without we land in Hell again? I am sick of Hell!” At this time, Parris is questioning John about not going to church and participating in religion, trying to guilt him for what he’s done. This conversation goes along with the first quote, and John’s situation with Abby, because he fears he will see her at church if he attends. In the beginning of The Crucible, John is seen as more of an enemy than a tragic hero, but his soft side slowly emerges in the middle of the book. As a loving husband who has imperfections galore, with an affair he regrets, he goes out of his way to show Elizabeth that he loves her and is doing everything he can to please her, saying her soup is seasoned when it’s not, and asking her if she will take a walk with him to enjoy the flowers. With love in his heart, he says, “On Sunday let you come with me, and we’ll walk the farm together; I never see such a load of flowers on the earth. Lilacs have a purple smell. Lilac is the smell of nightfall, I think. Massachusetts is a beauty in the spring!” To me, I think this simple act of affection shows so much even though he did so little. He is trying to show just how much he still cares about her without making it seemed forced; Elizabeth is still struggling with John’s affair, and any talk of it makes him blow up in anger. John’s anger again gets the best of him when he says, “Herrick! Herrick, don’t chain her! Damn you, man, you will not chain her! Off with them! I’ll not have it! I will not have her chained!” This is the scene where John’s tragic flaws start to expose themselves; his love for Elizabeth that becomes part of his downfall and his extensive anger that often gets the best of him. Because of John’s anger, it’s hard to see through his hard exterior, but in the course of the book, you gain an understanding that John Proctor is not himself without his temper. Because of John’s affection towards Elizabeth in the middle of the book, it is obvious to her how much he is willing to please her and do everything he can for her. Before his death, John said, “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man. My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing’s spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before.” During these trying moments, John confesses to Elizabeth how sorry his is, and how much he has lied to her. This conversation shows