John Proctor - a Tragic Hero in The Crucible - Essay Example

The existence of Proctor changed for the worse when Abigail blames Elizabeth, who ends up in jail. The blame game started because of the adultery that he committed. When a tragic play ends, the audience is usually pitiful towards the departed idol. Such a situation is called catharsis. John Proctor - a tragic hero in The Crucible, leaves the audience in distress when the play ends. The character of John fits that of a tragic hero because his character has characteristics that are associated with unfortunate events, including peripeteia and hamartia.

Proctor has very decent characteristics, although he was not born in nobility. He had too much pride, which ultimately made him meet his death. Before the play ends, Proctor is asked to append his signatures on a piece of paper that has his name on it. The paper was a confession that he assisted the devil. Proctor, however, refused to sign because his name was on the paper! He valued his name so much. Proctors pride further made him believe that it was okay to die rather than to confess and, in the process, damage his reputation.

It was clear that there was a fight between Proctors conscience and his egotism. When proceedings were ongoing, John Proctor did not throw Abigail under the bus, to shield his name from slander. John cared about his reputation and name. He did not want the two to be ruined. There was a point that Proctors society respected and looked up to him, and he did not want to destroy the relationship. Proctor further admitted that we would never change his name to another for as long as he lived since he was an adulterer, and if he changed it, he would ruin his good reputation in the society that respected him.

Proctors society was a Puritan one, and any form of lustfulness and adultery was considered awful and unacceptable. Proctor, therefore, has a lot to lose in this society if he confessed to anything. Proctor tried extremely hard to salvage his name by keeping the secret between him and Abigail. If the society got wind of the tragic event that took place between the two, his name would be ruined entirely without a possible chance of him ever salvaging it again. Proctor would also lose the respect of a society that held him high and treated him like an idol.

If brought to the attention of society, his actions would not end well. The punishment would be severe and lead to a tragic event like death.