Essay | Was John Proctor a Tragic Hero?

Oscar Mandel, analyzing a quote by the great Aristotle, said, "A work of art is tragic if it substantiates the following situation: A protagonist who commands our earnest good will is impelled in a given world by a purpose, or undertakes an action, of a certain seriousness and magnitude; and by that very purpose or action, subject to that same given world, necessarily and inevitably meets with a grave spiritual or physical suffering." Since the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller contains all of these things, it is in no doubt considered a tragedy. John Proctor, the main character, is a tragic hero because he is a respected, good person, he has a tragic flaw (hubris), which therefore makes him commit a tragic error (hamartia), and he brings upon the community's and his own destruction.

John Proctor is a good, respected member of the community of Salem, as...
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