A Hero’s Life

By Sam Reichert

John Proctor’s life cannot be characterized in one moment, however I think that he became a hero towards the end of the play.  In the beginning of the play, Proctor is looked upon as a leader by many of the village people.  He is a hard worker, who is not afraid to voice his opinions.  However you get a sense that John Proctor feels ashamed of himself on the inside, and feels guilty for what he has done.  His major flaw in the Crucible is when he committed adultery with Abigail Williams, one of his maids.  It seemed that a good man had been turned sinful, with one rather large temptation.  He struggles to mend his ailing marriage with his wife Elizabeth.  Adultery was a major sin in the Puritan society, and it was rather difficult for the John and Elizabeth to move past.  Elizabeth was beginning to doubt John, and felt that she could no longer trust him.  Because of this secrets were kept between them, making them grow further and further apart.  John Proctor was no perfect man, in fact he had thought of himself as a failure to himself.  He was beginning to doubt his faith at points, because of events that were transpiring in the town, where faithful people began turning on people and lying just to save their precious life.  

            However I believe John Proctor was a hero because at the end of the play he showed a great sense of selflessness when he would not hand over his confession to witchcraft, to judge Danforth.  Proctor would not blacken his name and lie to have his life back.  He was finally able to atone his mistakes in his marriage, and his failures as a husband at this moment.  He was finally able to see some grain of goodness in himself.  John Proctor was not willing to sell out his friends, because he felt a moral obligation to them.  I believe that is a critical characteristic of heroes.  Proctor would not lie, and offer himself to lies just so that he could save his own skin.  He knew that he had done nothing wrong, and would not give into the pressure, even if it meant losing his life.  John Proctor did not want to ruin his name, for something that was false.  He showed true dedication to honesty and truthfulness at a time of chaos, where people’s morality was being questioned and abandoned, and for that he is a true hero.