When learning about Arthur Miller, four very important criteria appeared to judge if a character is tragic or pathetic. In The Crucible, John Proctor is a tragic figure as defined by the criteria described by Miller and listed at the end of this paragraph. A crucible is defined as a severe test or a place in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. A tragic character must: #1) have a tragic flaw; #2) evaluate himself justly; #3) a tragic character needs to have conflict with something; and #4) a character is willing to give up everything for a just cause.

(TS) To be a tragic character, he must have a tragic flaw relative to the rest of the characters. (CD) Proctor demonstrates his tragic flaw is when it is learned that he has committed adultery. (CM) When Miller tells the reader of this, he changes the tone from...