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Tragic Triumph - Online Term Paper

Tragic Triumph

It hardly takes a discerning eye to realize that life does not consist of fairy tale endings.
That fact is all too apparent in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a work which has been labeled a
tragedy by many critics. Robert Heilman defines a tragedy as a work of literature in which a
character divided within the self makes choices, bears the consequences of those choices, gains a
new awareness, and suffers victory in defeat. As you will see, John Proctor is a perfect
protagonist.
The main choice which Proctor must make is simple enough to recognize: lie about his
participation in witchcraft or proclaim his innocence and be hanged; however, the actual process
of making this decision ...

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provision of a tragedy is furnished.
Miller spares us the full repercussions of Proctor’s decision by ending the play before the
hangings. Still, it is evident what the consequence of Proctor’s insistent grip on integrity will be:
death. I find it much more fitting that Miller excludes the most disparaging part of the play and
instead instills in our minds the positive side. Elizabeth plants the seed of this thought when she
proclaims of John, “He have his goodness now” (143). This statement creates perfect balance in
the conclusion of the play, allowing the reader to experience the full psychological weight of the
Salem Witch Trials while permitting the presentation of the optimist’s viewpoint.
Before his untimely death, Proctor gains an awareness of life possible only to those who
hold it in insufficient hands and observe it sifting through their fingers like the Sands of Time.
His epiphany occurs just after the destruction of the ...

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Tragic Triumph. (2004, March 26). Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Tragic-Triumph/5193

"Tragic Triumph." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 26 Mar. 2004. Web. 6 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Tragic-Triumph/5193>

"Tragic Triumph." Essayworld.com. March 26, 2004. Accessed January 6, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Tragic-Triumph/5193.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 3/26/2004 07:56:42 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 587
Pages: 3

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