Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a timeless tragedy, depicting historical figures but concerning the modern world as well. John Proctor, the protagonist, though fitting several of the characteristics of the Aristotelian tragic hero, is actually a much more complex tragic hero. The primary differences between John Proctor and the classic tragic hero are obvious, such as the lack of noble birth, his not being in a position of leadership, and the inevitability of his fate. These differences are necessary, as Arthur Miller attempts to convince his audience that his protagonist is an everyman and is worth sympathizing for. In Arthur Miller’s more complex world, a more complex tragic hero is needed.
This play exhibits tragedy because, though Proctor had many opportunities to change his fate, he chooses his demise because his tragic flaw prohibits him from doing otherwise. John Proctor is the tragic hero of the play, “The Crucible.” He has a high social status in the town, yet, because of his tragic flaw, he cannot bring himself to prevent his own death and tragic downfall. Proctor exhibits these tragic traits, making this play a tragedy of self-respect prevailing over shame and public
Chantelle Driver English 12-1B Ms.Turner 15 December 2011 A Tragic Hero Named Macbeth Sometimes a tragic hero is created, not through his own villainy, but rather through the flaws in him. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is our main example of our common tragic hero who possesses a tragic flaw, but what is a tragic flaw? A tragic flaw is a flaw in a character that brings about the downfall of the hero of a tragedy. Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character. Ambition, moral weakness and selective perception, would be the major flaws of our character, Macbeth.
The American Dream “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller tells the success struggles of Willy Loman. Willy is married to Linda and they have two sons: Biff and Happy. Throughout the play, the Loman’s next door neighbor, Charlie, is very concerned about Willy and constantly tries to help. Willy is a traveling salesman that hasn’t provided a much for his family to thrive on. He is obsessed with this ideal of greatness and an “American Dream” that is completely unattainable due to his imagination.
These actions are normally arising from their ‘tragic flaw’, which is an undesirable element of their character, like Macbeth’s ambition or Hamlet’s indecisiveness. In Greek tragedy, the ‘tragic flaw’ was linked to Aristotle’s concept of Hamartia. Rather than the tragedy directly from a flaw in the protagonist’s morality or personality, the tragedy unfolds from an error made by the protagonist. This isn’t to say that the Hamartia leads from the tragic flaw (such as in The Persians, where Xerxes’ decision to invade Greece comes from Hubris), but that it isn’t required to be the cause. Hamlet can be seen as a Shakespearian tragedy in this respect, as it is very much the flaw in his indecisiveness that causes his lack of action to drive the play, perhaps shown best in Act 3, Scene 3 where he decides to not kill a defenceless Claudius, despite spending much of the play finding evidence of this guilt, and just before immediately murdering a man who he thought was Claudius.
Ismene cannot convince Antigone to not bury their brother Polynices. Later in the play, Ismene does realize that what Antigone did was the right thing. In Greek tragedies, tragic flaw is defined as a characteristic that leads the main character to his or her own downfall. Tragedies tell the story of a reversal of fortune, from good to bad, experienced by a man or woman of noble birth. In all Greek tragedies, and other tragedies the main character ends up dying.
In the end Biff recognizes his problem as well as the rest of his family's problem. He realizes that they lie, and he try's to tell them during a fight he was having with Willy. Instead of Willy listening he just kept on yelling SPITE, SPITE, so his pride in the end was his own downfall. Maybe if he would of payed attention and listened to his son he would of still been alive a while longer. Because at the end of the fight Willy got a idea how to impress Biff and the solution ended up been that he kills himself.
Miller uses the form of a Greek Tragedy as he presents us with a Tragic Hero, whose fatal flaw is nothing but love; yet not being aware of this love leads to his downfall. The play examines the tragic consequences of Eddie Carbone's inability to understand himself and his actions. * Miller use Alfieri as the narrator for the play, as well as a character, he uses him to separate the scenes and give us a context. In the opening, Alfieri gives us an introduction to the characters and a brief over view of the play; he tells us the story line and how it is a tragedy without giving away all the details. Miller does this to create suspense in the audience’s mind and informs us of the tragedy.
Aeschylus (Greek tragic dramatist, 525BC-456BC) said, “For this is tyranny’s disease, to trust no friends”. This is exactly what Julius Caesar should have done; not trusted his friends. In Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare, it is often debated who deserves the role of the tragic hero is this tragedy. Caesar’s tragic flaws do lead to his death, but Brutus is the obvious tragic hero. Although Brutus has the characteristics of a great man such as; nobility, idealism and honesty, what makes him the tragic hero of Julius Caesar is his unassuming sincerity and trust.
Arthur Miller’s writing of Death of a Salesman does correctly fit the title of a tragedy because his main character, Willy Loman, does possess the qualities needed to be considered a tragic hero according to modern-day tragic heroes. Hamlet and Oedipus are the well-known tragic heroes from the past. They relate more to Aristotle than Willy Loman does and that is what causes the controversy in these tragedies. Aristotle had written down some of the common tragic hero characteristics for Greek tragedies, but those do not relate to more modern tragedies that have been written. Miller’s main character Willy Loman does deserve to have the title tragic hero.