John Proctor Case

John Proctor is a great example of a tragic hero in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Miller builds Proctor's character throughout the novel. At the conclusion of the story, one can come to the realization of Proctor's status. He fits the tragic hero mold to a "T." All the qualities Proctor posses line up with those of a tragic hero. Proctor displays nobility, yet he also holds a tragic flaw. He misses opportunities and has an epiphany in the resolution preceding a tragic downfall.

To begin with, John Proctor was a very noble man. He owned a lot of land which automatically put him in a position of influence within the town of Salem. Proctor was not the type of individual to follow the crowd; he stood his ground. Miller describes him as "...the kind of man-powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led" (Miller 20). Proctor was very well respected by the people but feared as well.

In addition, Proctor displays a tragic flaw that brings him nothing but grief and trouble. John stays in a state of denial as he does not want to tell of his affair with Abigail. He was too concerned of his reputation and cared more about the town's opinion than he cared about his own well-being. Elizabeth tries to get him to confess, but his pride gets the best of him. "It speaks deceit, and I am honest!" (Miller 23) Proctor claims.

Furthermore, Proctor had a bad habit of not taking advantage of opportunities when they arose. He had many chances to tell the truth of his relationship with Abigail, but he waited too long to have a substantial impact on the trial. The consequences are grand, as eventually Abigail sneakily puts Proctor's wife Elizabeth under suspicion of the court which leading to her arrest. Had Proctor confessed sooner rather than later, he may have been able to save Elizabeth. Not only does he keep the affair to himself, but he deliberately lies until the end. Once most of the damage is done he finally comes clean, "I do sir. I believe she plans to murder," (Miller 104) Proctor finally decides to accuse Abigail of her wrong doings.

Last but not least, Proctor's life ends in a tragic downfall. Before his death, however, he has an epiphany. The lies keep growing and start to drown Proctor, by the end of the story all of the confessions are a twisted labyrinth. Proctor realizes he cannot be safe behind another lie. He gives a false confession stating he, too,