John Proctor Is A Tragic Hero

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A tragic hero, by definition, is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to their own destruction. Also according to Aristotle, “a man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his downfall.” In ‘The Crucible’ reverend hale, much like john proctor is a tragic hero. Although in different ways, he fits the quota all the same. As the story continues, Hale develops a few of the main characteristics that qualify him as a tragic hero.

When Hale is first introduced, he is presented to the audience alongside his flaw in judgment in a blazing glory. He is a religious man who prides himself on his ability to seek out the devil’s followers and cure those who have been caught in the crossfire of witchcraft. He comes to help the court , even though he also examines Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam. He still follows orders of the court in signing away the lives of innocent people of Salem, as well as going door to door to try and figure
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Hale wanted to correct his mistakes and to clear his own conscious. And when Proctor ripped up his signed confession, committing suicide, he not only killed himself, but he killed something within Hale. Something that resulted in a metaphorical death. That only he could be responsible for. John Proctor was Hale's last chance to get things right and he could not reach him. All the things that he had believed in and prided himself on previously had been for naught.

What makes Reverend Hale a tragic hero is not the same as that of which makes someone like John Proctor a tragic hero. With a character like proctor he is practical. The audience can see all the steps that make a tragic hero in him. Whereas the reverend is a tragic hero in ways that are more complex to his character--in a spiritual and jarring internal way with the toll that Salem takes on him. But one thing is for sure, critiques got it right by calling him a tragic hero all the