Crucible Essay

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Olson 1

Phil Olson
Mr. Weinstock
American Lit.
February 9, 2015
Crucible Essay
The Crucible is a 1953 play written by Arthur Miller, that showcases the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts in 1692. The play was made into a 1996 film directed by Nicholas Hynter. In the movie, several teenage girls sneak out of their houses around dawn one morning. They meet in the forest and dance, which is forbidden in the town.
While dancing a woman named abigail sheds her clothes and proceeds to drink an animal’s blood. Reverend Parris discovers this and is horrified. After this occurs, the town goes into a panic. Cries of witchcraft echo throughout the town, and the girls from the woods join in. The girls accuse woman after woman of witchcraft. John Proctor, a farmer on the outskirts of salem, is roped into the trials because of his relations with Abigail. Towards the end of the movie John must choose between life with everlasting guilt or death with the satisfaction of staying a good christian. John Proctor is the tragic hero in the Crucible for three reasons.
One being that he has a flaw, another being that he is noble and brave, and the last reason is because his flaw leads to his downfall.
One reason why John can be described as the tragic hero in the Crucible is because he has a flaw. Throughout the movie John discusses his affair with Abigail to a number of people. This can be seen when Abigail tells John about her continuing love and desire for him. You can tell John is reluctant to talk about the past because he knows that he did something wrong and in an attempt to never do it again he refuses to have contact with
Abigail. Another time when this occurred is when John and his wife discuss the conversation

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that john had with Abigail. During the conversation Goody Proctor is very weary of what actually happened in the conversation. She doesn’t trust John because she knows that he had an affair with him earlier. She questions what really happened because while John told her about the conversation he changed his story a couple of times. Even though proctor has a flaw, if he didn’t have one, he might not be considered a tragic hero, so I believe his flaw is very important. But having just one characteristic of a tragic hero doesn’t make you one, you have to posses a couple.
A second reason John can be seen as the tragic hero in the Crucible is because of the fact he is noble and brave. Throughout the movie John is seen to strive to be a good christian. This can be seen when he tries to fight against the witch accusers in court. John knows that the girls are making false claims of witchcraft. He tries to prove what he knows is right but it doesn’t end well. I think that although John was the only person to challenge the girls in court, many of the residents of salem had the same beliefs of John but are too afraid to speak out against the girls. Proctor’s nobility and bravery can also be exemplified when he refuses to sign the confession. While being accused of devilish related actions, John is given an option. He can either sign the document that has him admit to relations with the devil, and live or he can refuse to sign the document which would give him and his wife satisfaction that he is a good christian, but the latter of the two options would result in death. John chooses death, and to remain a good christian at
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