The
Crucible by Arthur Miller is a very powerful and well-known play that tells
the story of the terrifying witch trials that arose in Salem in the year of
1692. One of the main characters of this play is John Proctor, a married farmer
with three children. We know that he doesn’t like the reverend Parris, his third
son isn’t baptized, he doesn’t attend church regularly, and he doesn’t quite
remember all of the Ten Commandments from the Bible. Besides all of that, he’d
also committed adultery against his wife Elizabeth by lusting after Abigail and
having an affair with her.
Do I think he’s a hero? Yes.
He’s definitely not perfect. He’s
made some pretty big mistakes in his life, he has a tense relationship with
Elizabeth, and he’s not viewed as a very religious man by the people in Salem. Even
though he’s cut off his relationship with Abigail, he still beats himself up
about his past and can’t seem to let it go. But you don’t need to be flawless
to be a hero.
John Proctor genuinely loved Elizabeth,
and he fought to get her out of jail. He tried to start over with his wife by
cutting out Abigail and apologizing. He went to Salem to tell the judges and
leaders of the court the truth of what really happened- even though it meant
facing Abigail and skeptical people of power. He confessed of his adultery,
even though it meant he would get in trouble for it, in order to try to get the
truth out in the open.
In the end, he had to choose
between lying and living or staying true to himself and dying. He chose the
latter. And although it might seem like a foolish choice to some, or a stupidly
rebellious decision to others, I believe that it was heroic. It’s a terribly
difficult choice to make, and it’s easy to just do what is required in order to
save your own life. John Proctor, however, did what he thought was right and
what he thought was best, even though it cost him his life. He died for what he
believed in, and dying for your beliefs is no light matter.
In conclusion, although John
Proctor hadn’t always been a “good man,” he fought to make things right and he
died for what he believed in. I believe that he is a hero.
I like how you especially made a point that heros are not perfect and they do have flaws. I completely agree that Proctor is a tragic hero, in how he died for what he believed in.
ReplyDeleteI agree that John Proctor was a hero standing up for his beliefs even though he has made a lot bad choices in life. You only mainly focused on the good in him which is a good way to evaluate someone because no one is perfect.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you pointed out that John was not perfect, before stating your argument. I agree cold heartedly that John Proctor is a hero.
ReplyDeleteI liked that you made a point about how Proctor is a hero, but isn't perfect. I feel like today most heros are depicted as perfectly good so it's refreshing to see your opinion.
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