Examining The Examples Of A Tragic Hero English Literature Essay

A premier illustration of a tragic hero is John Proctor, from Arthur Millers, The Crucible.A Proctor is easy placed in this class of heroes because he has features that define who may be considered such a hero, such as the fact that he is extremely regarded in the community, that he has a tragic defect, that he dies and embraces decease with self-respect and that he is portrayed as a human being like his readers to which causes a katharsis of emotions in them. Leon Golden writes that “ the ideal Aristotelean form of tragedyaˆ¦ the autumn from felicity to wretchedness, caused by a serious rational mistake, on the portion of a hero who is worthy of regard… ” ( Golden ) . John makes such “ mistakes ” due to his tragic defects, which result in his ruin, but in malice of these defects in his character, he is extremely regarded within his community. He makes a serious mistake in judgement, realizes that he has made an irreversible error, and while he recognizes that he must be put to decease, maintains his self-respect and trades with his destiny with a step of credence, like a tragic hero is supposed to make. Finally, John has the intrinsic ability to pull out sympathy and commiseration from his readers which is besides a celebrated quality of the authoritative tragic hero. John Proctor is hence the quintessential illustration of a tragic hero.A It is apparent early on thatA John ProctorA wasA extremely esteemed within the community, A because heA wasA called toA Reverend Parris ‘ family toA see howA the Reverend ‘s ailment daughterA was making. The rigorous Puritan members of Salem besides commended him for hanging the door of the church.A Despite the strength in which the Puritans regarded their faith and the contempt they shared for those less “ spiritual ” than they were, Arthur Miller writes that “ Proctor, respected and even feared in Salemaˆ¦ ” ( Miller 20 ) . John ProctorA wasA still considered to be an honest, hardworkingA adult male and aA God-fearingA Christian, even though he did n’t go to church and was non, in any manner, perfect. James Martine suggests that “ the ideal supporter of calamity, so, says Aristotle, must be a adult male like ourselves, one who does non possess righteousness and virtuousness to flawlessness, but whose character is held in high-esteem by all ” ( Martine ) . Therefore, Proctor fits the portion of Aristotle ‘s tragic which claims he must be a well-respected individual within the narrative ‘s chief community ( even if he is non near to being Godhead ) . However, as is the instance for every tragic hero, a tragic defect that John Proctor possesses finally led to his tragic terminal. One of John Proctor ‘s tragic defects was his unfaithfulness. Like Larry Brown believes, “ Miller created the matter between Proctor and Abigail as a cardinal motivational factor in Proctor ‘s character ” ( Brown ) . Because of the matter he pursues with 17 twelvemonth old, Abigail, the remainder of the events that lead to his day of reckoning unfold. Abigail ‘s green-eyed monster of Proctor ‘s married woman, Elizabeth, cause her to get down a commotion in Salem and to impeach people of take parting in witchery because she believes if she removes Elizabeth, by impeaching her of being a enchantress she could hold the desirable John Proctor all to herself.A Another defect of Proctor that consequences in his decease is his pride. Martine agrees that for a hero to be considered tragic, “ the hero must be a extremely moral person who has a tragic defect, a tragic flaw. This defect is frequently hubris-commonly characterized as prideaˆ¦ ” ( Martine ) . Proctor is delayed in the confession of his wickedness because it is of extreme importance to him to keep a good name. Had he owned up to the matter earlier on in the procedure, he could hold shown the tribunal that Abigail had a sensible alibi and the whole events of the Salem enchantress tests could hold been stopped before they even began. Because of John Proctor ‘s serious defect in character and his awful wickedness, he is hanged upon the gallows of Salem for all to see. Not many people accept decease with such awards and unity as Proctor does. A Out of self-respect and pride in his household and himself, John Proctor decides to be hanged instead than lie and falsely confess to hold practiced witchery and everlastingly be associated with it. Proctor, in mention to the prevarication that subscribing his confession would be, says “ Because I can non hold another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to prevarications ” ( Miller Act IV ) . In add-on, he does non desire to subject to the giving over of names of other people in the community, feigning that they were enchantresss, to acquire himself off the hook, or in this instance, gallows. “ The tragic terminal of the drama comes at the really point where Proctor found his morality and award that he thought he lost ” ( University of Houston- Clear Lake ) . The pride that led to Proctor ‘s ruin is the same pride that causes him to decease in self-respect, without subscribing to prevarications.

John Proctor hides his criminal conversation with Abigail from the tribunal for the interest of repute, until he must squeal: “ I have made a bell of my award! I have rung the day of reckoning of my good name. ” However, as he is pressured to curse falsely that he dealt in witchery, Proctor realizes it is his name in the sense of personal unity, being true to himself, non his repute among others that affairs most of all ( Brown ) .

The concluding facet of a tragic hero that John Proctor undoubtedly encompasses is his relatability, which causes the other characters in the drama and its readers to sympathize with him. Proctor is displayed as a mere human being with defects and battles which in many ways mirror our ain defects and battles. “ This deep-rooted temperament of ‘frailty ‘ is Proctor ‘s ain indispensable humanity and demonstrates him to be ‘a adult male merely like ourselves. ‘ And since this is so, the attendant katharsis arouses, and purgings, our ain commiseration and fright ” ( Martine ) . Some of his greatest battles are happening himself and covering with the guilt he feels for holding an matter, which he finally comes to accept as Martine says ; “ John Proctor is heroic because he accepts his guilt and indicts the society that would coerce him to give over his scruples. To make both, he must be self-discovered, self-recognized and eventually self-accepting ” ( Martine ) . Proctor is at his tallness of ego consciousness when he realizes how of import it is to keep his unity. Robert Heilman explains that Shakespeare made the tragic hero, “ a figure capable of self-awareness and self-judgment ” ( Heilman ) . Just as Miller gave John Proctor the ability to hold self-awareness, William Shakespeare gave his tragic heroes the same ability. Because the readers find themselves similar to Invigilate in that they besides are flawed, they are able to to the full sympathize with him and throw themselves into the emotional convulsion of the narrative. Therefore, when the narrative of John Proctor is read, the reader experiences a katharsis of emotions. They feel fear for him, throughout the tests and when his destiny is being determined. They feel sympathy for him as he approaches his decease, right after he and Elizabeth eventually mend their matrimony. A narrative of a tragic hero tends to accomplish that consequence on its readers.