Modern tragic hero Essay

Aristotle defines a tragedy as a â€Å"form of drama defined by seriousness and dignity and involving a great person who experiences a reversal of fortune†. This ‘great’ person is normally held in high regard and possesses a tragic or fatal flaw which contributes to the reversal of fortune. The character must pass through suffering and trials in which they are brought to their limit and, eventually, the character realises their mistake or flaw, and develops as a result of this. Unfortunately, the development invariably comes too late, and the tragedy ends in the character’s death. According to Aristotle, a tragedy must induce fear and pity in the audience. Watching a person held in high regard fall leaves the audience wondering if a single mistake could really lead to such a drastic turn of events. The Crucible was written at a time when Miller was summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee. During the 1940s and early 1950s, the fear of communist sympathisers became so great that under Senator Joseph McCarthy, the committee became paranoid in its search for possible communists. As this was happening, Miller began seeing parallels between the actions of the committee and the witchcraft trials in Salem two hundred years ago: â€Å"What was manifestly parallel was the guilt, two centuries apart, of holding illicit, suppressed feelings of alienation and hostility toward standard, daylight society†. The possession of lists pertaining to possible offenders is a particular link, and Miller fashioned The Crucible around both the events of his time and the Salem witch trials. Miller wrote the play for modern audiences and while John Proctor’s path is similar to the one defined by Aristotle, there are a number of differences. John Proctor is described as blunt and honest: â€Å"He had a sharp and biting way with hypocrites,† He has a rebellious spirit which leads him to be impulsive and rash on occasions. An example of this is when Parris mentions a faction. Proctor in jest says, â€Å"Then I must find it and join it†. This behaviour typical to Proctor differs a great deal from the repressive norm of the time. His behaviour also leads him to trouble later in the play, as others do not appreciate his more liberal thinking. â€Å"In Proctor’s presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly-and a Proctor is always marked for calumny therefore. † As a result of his sometimes rebellious attitude, he puts himself in a dangerous position when the hysteria elevates. Proctor is principled and a man of conviction. His refusal to go to church is not motivated by laziness but by a dislike of how Parris runs it. Miller also says that he came to, â€Å"regard himself as a kind of fraud†. Proctor understands that he is not the perfect Christian that he appears to be, and while he remains respected in the village, he himself feels undeserving of such respect because of the sins he has committed. As such, his fear of public humiliation is so great that he is reluctant to act when Elizabeth urges him. To Proctor, the risk of Abigail revealing his sins is too great. Proctor is very weak willed at the start of the play, which highlights his vulnerabilities as a human being while making his change all the more pronounced. He lacks moral courage and strength: strength to do what is right and courage to act, despite the risks on his own reputation. In his actions toward Elizabeth, we see he is loyal and caring. Even though he strayed from his vows, he seeks forgiveness more than anything else and puts off Abigail’s advances, â€Å"I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. † He is protective of his wife’s feelings, and tries to spare them by deceiving through omission. This is demonstrated when Proctor leaves out that he was alone with Abigail for a moment. However, when Elizabeth finds out about it, she is hurt that he lied, and suspicious of his reasons for doing so. Through this deception, Proctor is inadvertently protecting his own insecurities which, while seemingly non existent to the outside world, he displays in private when with Elizabeth. Proctor lacks confidence in regard to his wife. He feels that he is trying hard to gain her trust but is not getting any response from her: â€Å"On Saturday let you come with me, and we’ll walk the farm together. † This is an obvious attempt to do something romantic with his wife, but Elizabeth is less than enthusiastic. Their inability to face up to their problems and the habit of tip toeing around sensitive subjects prevents the forgiveness that he so craves and keeps their relationship tense. With regard to moral courage, Proctor’s fear of humiliation makes him indecisive, as the only way to stop Abigail’s lies is to hurt her. Here he shows his flaws. He doesn’t want Abigail to reveal their affair. He doesn’t want to hurt her because of his affection and while he knows what she is doing is false, his inaction allows the situation to deteriorate drastically over a short period of time- the start of his fall. Proctor also has a great fear of being judged by others, especially his wife. He says to Elizabeth: â€Å"I’ll not have your suspicion any more,† to which Elizabeth replies, â€Å"John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not. † It is evident that what she says is true, but, because of this, Proctor immediately jumps to his own defence, â€Å"I confessed, confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day†. This reveals his resentment for being judged, and his belief that only God has the right to do so. Elizabeth also points out Proctor’s confliction and self doubt, â€Å"I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you,† meaning Proctor is punishing himself for his sins, and channelling his guilt by blaming his wife. In this interaction with Elizabeth we truly see how insecure and weak Proctor is, a far cry from the strong outward appearance he shows to others. His inaction stems from his pride, fear and insecurity, and leads to dire consequences for him and Elizabeth. However, as the play progresses, Proctor goes over a sudden and monumental change. Spurred by the arrest of his wife, the innate defiance in him surfaces and Proctor begins to gain moral courage, becoming committed to freeing his wife. Only in the absence of Elizabeth does John discover purpose and tenacity to do what he has to. He is not yet at the point where he can admit his affair openly to stop Abigail, but he begins to see the extent of the hysteria through Mary Warren and resolves to stop it with the aid of Mary Warren, â€Å"All our old pretence is ripped away-make your peace with it! † He must now contend with Mary’s weak nature, and it is ironic that at the moment of gaining new strength, he must help Mary overcome her weaknesses and fears. Proctor is still scared for his reputation, but the arrest of Elizabeth is the catalyst of his future development.