The Crucible John Proctor Tragic Hero

The word hero comes from the Greek word meaning an individual that is faced with adversity. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, defines a hero as “a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience”, a person that is confronted with adversity and faces downfalls. Some of the characteristics that depict a tragic hero in Aristoteles’ eyes are Hamartia, Hubris, Peripeteia, Anagnorisis, and Catharsis. The tragic hero of The Crucible is John Proctor. He is considered a tragic hero because his character shows all the traits that would be found in a tragic hero, as described by Aristotle. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is not an ordinary man, it must be a man that is better than others. This could be a superior position, or job. In the Crucible, John Proctor is a good man; he is married, has children, and a farm. He is respected by his community, even though he doesn’t practice the Puritan religion as others do. John Proctor strays from his religion and has an affair with Abigail. This affair is John’s tragic flaw, or according to Aristotle, Hamartia. …show more content…
Somehow, this honorable person makes a mistake, which eventually leads to his ruin. When John’s affair is discovered, he tries to put everything behind him, by behaving honorably and admitting his fault. Unfortunately for John, it is too late, and the widespread hysteria of the witch trials, ends up dragging him to court where he tries to clear his wife from the accusations of witchcraft. Proctor’s life has changed. He had a good life before the adultery, now he is faced with misfortune and tragedy. During this reversal of fate, called Peripeteia, John sets up his own downfall in order to set Elizabeth free. John is accused of witchcraft himself by