The Crucible
Arthur Millers play, The Crucible, is a tragedy. Its main character, John Proctor is the tragic hero. John Proctors stature, his quality of being neither completely good nor completely evil, his humanity and his strength merge to reveal him as a tragic hero.
John Proctor is a middle-aged farmer living is Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, during the time of the Salem Witch trials. He is well respected, renowned, and even feared in his community. The books narrator initially describes Proctor as ” the kind of man- powerful in body, even-tempered, and not easily led…”(20). When in the presence of Proctor, it is said, “a fool felt his foolishness instantly”(20). This ability is portrayed when Proctor talks with Mary Warren, his servant, “Be you foolish, Mary Warren Be you deaf I forbid you leave the house, did I not Why shall I pay you I am looking for you more often than my cows!”(21). Proctor is a man of stature and displays a steady manner. Therefore, early in the play, John Proctor is presented as renowned and respected, traits of a tragic hero.
Revealed in Act I, Proctor commits adultery with Abigail Williams, a serious transgression for which he has
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