The Tragedy of John Proctor?

     What is a tragedy?(s) As Aristotle once said, “Tragedy results when the protagonist, or tragic hero, casts aside prudent human behavior, creates a state of disorder, and reaps the consequences that then bring a return to order…” He may have been referring to ancient Greek tragedies, but his statements also apply to modern literature. One example of a modern tragedy is Arther Miller’s The Crucible. The entire format of this play follows that of Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy. In the play, the protagonist, John Proctor, commits the hamartia of adultery. This action is his first step, though more are to come, of casting aside human wisdom.(cx) Also in this play, his lover and a group of teenage girls accuse many people of Salem of the crime of witchcraft. John knows that the girls are lying, yet he holds the truth for fear of revealing his hidden truth. He struggles internally throughout the play, and he feels as if he is torn. (cd-cx)His emotion, combined with Arther Miller’s brilliant writing pull the audience out of their seats into 1690’s Salem. John finally makes the decision to put a stop to his nemesis’s scheme to ruin the town. Her hubris must be destroyed. He brings his servant to court to testify that the girls are lying in order to save his wife, friends, and ultimately the town. The situation spins out of proportion, and leaves John convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to hang. The entire town is in a state of ate. On the day of his execution, many plead with him to lie to the court so that he won’t be hanged. He in fact does try this, but he fails and decides to hang with his friends, who will die like saints, in arte. His death resolves the play and brings about a feeling of dissoi logoi. The audience feels a pain and relief at the same time. The end is like a rain that washes the earth, yet also leaves it soggy. Some lessons learned in this tale are that it is always better to reveal the truth and that no good thing can come from bad. Aristotle may have been describing famous tragedies of ancient times, yet his words remain in the literature of the day.(cd)