Tragic hero of To Kill A Mockingbird and the Crucible
Tragedy occurs in many literary works throughout our history. Generally, the classic tragic hero in literature is characterized as a noble man, of many virtues and high position. However, according to Arthur Miller in his theatre essay, ¡°Tragedy and the Common Man,¡± ¡°any common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as a king.¡± Thus, unlike the classic tragic hero, such as Odysseus from Homer's The Odyssey, the modern tragic hero is usually an ordinary man who possesses qualities that elevates him above the ordinary masses as he fights courageously against the overwhelming odds of the society. Accordingly, Atticus Finch, of Harper Lee¡¯s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as John Proctor, from Miller¡¯s own play, The Crucible, can be identified as such tragic heroes. Harper Lee, in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, portrays the prejudiced society of the South in the 1930s. The protagonist of the story, Atticus Finch, represents the rational man of the highly emotional world of Maycomb, Alabama. He is characterized as a stable and mature figure who is able to cope with the unreasonable and highly emotional element of the town. Atticus is one of the few people of the town who understands t
As one can see, both Atticus Finch and John Proctor were exemplary modern tragic heroes. Each of their respective tragic flaws were not necessarily a weakness, but is, instead, their ¡°unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what [each] conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of his rightful status¡± (¡°Tragedy and the Common Man¡± 4). The tragic action, truly, stems from the hero¡¯s questioning of his environment. Consequently, it is not the tragic hero at fault; rather, it is the society that should be put to blame. Similarly, John Proctor, from Arthur Miller¡¯s play, The Crucible, is also a quintessential modern tragic hero. As Miller reveals, the Puritan authorities, during the Salem Witch Trials, had abandoned all reason and logic. The society was in complete chaos as the lives of many innocent people were taken. However, among them, was an honest, dignified, and accountable farmer, John Proctor, who remained true to himself and his morals in the midst of this hysteria. It is revealed in the play that John Proctor, at one time, did have an affair with Abigail Williams, the former servant girl for his household. Nonetheless, the guilt of his actions forces him to eventually admit his sins to his beloved wife, Elizabeth Proctor. Such action by John demonstrates his love for his wife as well as his strong sense of being right and wrong. Unfortunately, his affair with his Achilles heel Abigail evoked a feeling of jealousy from her so strong that she accused Goody Proctor of dabbling in witchcraft. Of course, John was determined to rescue his wife from the laws
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Approximate Word count = 1090
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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