John Proctor Essay

In 1692 in the little town of Salem, Massachusetts tragic events took place that would alter this miniscule town forever (Conforti par. 1). Specifically, the witch trials that spring made it one of the most famous towns in American History. Being accused of witchcraft, many people met their deaths and were hung. The witch trials were started and ended by the actions of one man, John Proctor. This is illustrated in The Crucible, a book written to depict the events of these trials. It would seem that John Proctor would be the tragic hero stopping the witch trials. A tragic hero is someone who is not perfect but yet has reputable standing as did Proctor. To be considered a tragic hero one would also have to have a flaw, leading to one’s own demise, but the tragic fate is not necessarily deserved. (Straker par.1). However, his flaws lead him to deserve his fate. He died to save others and to stop the witch trials which he had caused by his own wrong doing (Miller 1137). Despite the respect John Proctor had as well as his his flaws, which ignited the flame of the witch trials, he is not a tragic hero because he is innately good.
To start, Proctor was a man that was well respected in the community, but his flaw of lust broke the stronghold of his marriage and what happened would incite the town’s loss of sanity and thus began the witch trials. John Proctor was married to Elizabeth Proctor and was a respected man and was very influential in the village (Miller 1245). The Crucible described him as, “The kind of man-powerful body, even tempered, and not easily led” (Miller 1245). However, a little later, The Crucible, states, “Proctor, respected and even feared in Salem, has come to regard himself as a fraud” (Miller 1245). Why? To explain, he and seventeen year old Abigail Williams had an affair. He, feeling like a fraud illustrates the fact that perhaps Proctor didn’t have as much pride as one would think. Abigail was wholly convinced John loved her