John Proctor Flaws

The “ideal” tragic hero, as described by Aristotle, would be seen as human, and not a god. He would also contain within himself a reputation and an unordinary greatness. John proctor is the tragic hero in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. He has flaws that turn out badly and lead to his demise. His flaws include that he commits the sin of adultery, which will be held against him, the guilt that he feels about it, and that his pride will get in the way of a resolution.

The setting of Act Two is in the Proctor household. Elizabeth Proctor, John’s wife, is being arrested on accusations of witchcraft. The evidence that the court uses to justify her arrest is that she has a poppet with a needle in it (an example of spectral evidence), which was given

to Elizabeth by the house servant Mary Warren. Proctor then tries his best to convince Mary to confess that the poppet is false evidence.

“My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!” (Miller 80). John feels tremendous guilt over the fact that he has committed adultery. He knows that Elizabeth is a pure, honest, and innocent woman. If anything, John feels that he is the one who should be tried by the church and court, not her. Above all, this shows that despite his actions, John cares deeply about his wife. What makes this tragic, is that John must have magnitude, or rise above the ordinary, to prove that the accusation is false. Whatever John Proctor does or says will have a great reaction in the village of Salem. Proctor is respected but also possibly feared in Salem. A small section of writing in the midst of Act 1 goes off the record and introduces a small biography of proctor, that explains his status in the village. “But as we shall see, the steady manner he displays does not spring from an untroubled soul. He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his own vision of decent conduct… Proctor, respected and even feared in Salem, has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud. But no hint of this has yet appeared on the surface, and as he enters from the crowded parlor below it

is a man in his prime we see, with a quiet confidence and an unexpressed, hidden force,” (Miller 20-21). In that passage, the reader sees that Proctor has a say and maybe even responsibilities in Salem. But it also shows that he feels guilt over his tragic flaws. Ultimately, this passage shows that Proctor feels horror over the size and power of his actions. Every cause has an effect, just like every action has a consequence, and this is something that he understands.

The entire beginning of Act Two is spent between John and Elizabeth in their home.

Even while reading, a sense of tension and uncomfortableness can be felt. As Elizabeth found out about John and Abigail’s affair, she has become entirely wary of him. John simply wants to make things right, and to forget the past and focus on the present and future. “Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house,” (Miller 54-55). It can be clearly seen that John is fed up with Elizabeth’s tirades. He acknowledged the affair, and he solely asked for Elizabeth’s forgiveness, which she gave, but still she carries around a deep-rooted hatred for John and his actions. Consequently, later on in the play the audience will realize that the “hatred” is actually guilt. Elizabeth really felt guilt for having been such a cold wife to John, which she strongly believes led him to the affair. The Crucible takes place in a highly religious Puritan community. The emphasis on God and being a holy human is intense, which may make this play outrageous. One simple mistake can be said to be a sin, or witchcraft, which will cause the village of Salem to go into a frenzy. Another

passage in Act Two shows how religious Salem was at the time, but it also shows irony for John Proctor. “Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods, nor make unto thee any graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain; thou shalt have no other gods before me. With some hesitation: Thou shalt remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Pause. Then: Thou shalt honor thy father and mother. Thou shalt not bear false witness. He is stuck. He counts back on his fingers, knowing one is missing. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,” (Miller 67). The commandment that Proctor forgets is the one that states “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” This is ironic because this is the sin that he has committed, yet it is also the same one he forgets. Another detail to add on top of the mountain of irony includes that Elizabeth has to remind him about it, and this makes Proctor upset and embarrassed. Elizabeth and John had literally just gotten into a fight about the affair, and for a slight moment things were forgotten but the fact arises again. This sin, is what makes John Proctor a tragic hero, as the sin is what leads to his demise.

As we reach the end of The Crucible, John is convicted and put into jail. He finally sees Elizabeth after a few months, but the main reason she is seeing John is to convince him to confess so that he can live. Proctor complies at first but changes his mind, as Danforth, Hathorne, and Hale want to make his confession public. Making his confession public means that the entire village of Salem will know that John Proctor has lied to spare his life. “And there’s your first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs,” (Miller 144). The concept of a name being white means that the name is pure, which is one of the highest honors one aspires to keep their whole life in a Puritan society. This quote from him shows an element of imitation which is crucial for labeling a story as tragic. Imitation means getting at the heart of the situation, and this can be seen throughout the entire play multiple times, especially during a dispute between Abigail and John in Act 1. But as Proctor wrestles with the decision to have it publicly announce that he confessed, he hysterically realizes that he can not go through with it. His honor is one of the most important things to him, thus if he confesses, he will have no honor left. He considers the aftermath of the confession, and understands that he will be filled with regret and shame for the rest of his life, and he also knows that the rest of family will have to carry that weight as well. While this may be perceived as a holy and righteous thing to do, it can also be seen as selfish in a way. It could be deduced that his pride gets in the way of him living. “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!,” (Miller 143). Act 4 shows Proctor’s ability to rise above the ordinary and show greatness. He is able to rise and push against the antagonistic forces that want to destroy him. He is asserting his grandeur, and the audience is realizing that Proctor is making the decision to die willingly. As the play draws to a close, the audience watches Proctor move forward in full acceptance of his fate.