The famous philosopher Aristotle formally described the parameters of the tragic hero in his work “On Poetics”. Aristotle primarily based his model of a tragic hero on Oedipus, a king from Greek mythology. He described the tragic hero as a person of noble birth who possesses a fatal flaw, or hamartia, which results in his downfall and describes his tragic nature. The character is considered a hero once he rises from his fall and experiences an enlightenment and redemption called anagnorisis. In The Crucible, the protagonist, John Proctor, is considered a tragic hero. Proctor is a very secular man in Puritan Salem, but he is still well respected among the people. His obsession with maintaining his reputation is one manifestation of his fatal flaw, his pride. John Proctor's pride is responsible for both his tragic downfall and his redemption. This undermines Miller's characterization of him as a tragic hero because he fails to experience anagnorisis. Arthur Miller's famous play The Crucible, set during the Salem witch trials of 1692, is arguably the most powerful allegory of Senator Joseph McCarthy's Red Scare of the 1950s. The story begins with a group of young girls as they escape into the woods to perform a pagan ritual illicit by their strict, puritanical, non-secular society. To avoid reproach, they claimed to have seen the Devil and that other members of society were serving him through active witchcraft. The town became afraid of their claims and it was only when several accused witches chose to hang themselves instead of confessing that the hysteria ended. Even though John's fate was rather unfair and unfortunate to imagine, he still made the right decision to sacrifice himself. First, it guaranteed a positive and good future for his children, his family and his descendants. Second, continuing from the first reason, if John had falsely confessed, his future and that of his family would have radically changed negatively. Finally, one must take several steps and take several steps to defend one's pride and honor, as John did. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayProctor was a man who was devoted to God, but who prioritized the well-being of his family in addition to 'be a devout member of the church. Many had questioned him repeatedly about this and his absence from church, and believed that he failed to care for God as powerfully as he claimed. However, this was not the case. John Proctor knew that there were tasks to be done to keep his family alive and healthy, and knew that he could pray to God and show his love for God without sacrificing that well-being. Part of his reasoning for not going to church was because he thought Parris wanted nothing more than a pretty church and did not talk about God like a sermonizer should. In the end, Proctor can be considered a respectable man or a hero. He confessed to sexual activity, knowing he would go to prison for it. “I confessed to myself!” … God sees my name, God knows how black my sins are” (Act 4), he confessed his unholy sin. John Proctor admitted something that several different Puritans did not want. He does this to avoid ruining the lives of the accused, but more particularly his wife. He put his name and his life on the line to save Elizabeth and the others. Additionally, John Proctor felt determined to save his wife by recounting the time Abigail confessed to him that it had nothing to do with thewitchcraft. Show the Reverend that there were liars among him. Proctor risks everything and recounts his sin, adultery, ultimately making him the hero. He risked his life to prove that the accused and his wife were innocent and good people. He did everything he could to save these people. By the end, Proctor's truth had caused tension and doubt in the small town of Salem. It illustrates his selfish tendency to place himself above the rules he expects of others, which pushes him to make decisions that lead to his downfall. The catalyst for his downfall, Proctor claims to have remorse over his affair with his former servant Abigail Williams. However, his attitude still indicates that he feels superior to the law. Once Elizabeth asks John about talking to Abigail alone in a room, John responds, "I should have made you roar when you first told me your suspicions." But I withered and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed!” For Proctor, confession can be a sign of weakness and inferiority, which is one of the reasons for his refusal to conform to the faith, as well as the rituals of consensus later in the play. he is incapable of confessing and accepting the consequences of his affair. He considers himself above the vows of a marriage; even when the affair occurs, he thinks it's okay to speak privately with Abigail once he is aware of how it strains the already broken trust between him and his wife. He holds Elizabeth responsible for the fidelity he himself cannot offer, which is confirmed once he forgets adultery in the Ten Commandments and tells Hale, "Between the two of us, we know them all." . Proctor's crisis is exacerbated once Elizabeth is targeted by Abigail in court. Proctor knows, based on his private conversation with Abigail, that the witchcraft accusations are a fraud and that testifying against her could save his wife and other townspeople from public hanging. But he also knows it could involve a public confession of the affair, which could deeply tarnish his name. He believes himself to be above the law since he refuses to inform the court of what he knows, and thinks that his name is superior to the lives that are lost day after day on the gallows. It is only when highly regarded individuals in the town, such as Rebecca Nurse, are involved that Proctor speaks up, as Proctor sees them as enough for himself. However, once Elizabeth is called to confirm that she fired Abigail for her affair with John, Elizabeth, an impeccably honest character, lies because she is aware of the importance Proctor places on her name famous in Salem. John believes he is superior and is therefore able to confess when it suits him and reap the benefits. However, at this point in the tyranny of consensus, it is too late for him to be able to turn the situation around with his testimony. He is thrown into Salem Jail to confess or be hanged in time. This signifies the beginning of his downfall. Proctor's choices are driven by his insincere and superior attitude, which leads him to selfish choices that catalyze his downfall. While one may disagree that Proctor's decision is a bad decision, it is not entirely wrong and quite understandable. Proctor may not be a true hero in Miller's play because he never recognized his selfish problems and self-superiority as fatal flaws that led to his fate in the witch trials. Proctor is condemned in the same way he was redeemed. His superiority is perhaps the product of his pride, which pushes him to have an affair with Abigail. He refuses at first to testify, then.