A hero is defined as “someone admired for his bravery, great deeds or noble qualities”. There are three categories to which all heroes can be classified into, one of which is the anti-hero genre. An anti-hero has the role of a hero thrust upon them. They do not particularly want to be brave or noble but their actions lead them to be a hero. Facing difficult decisions and doubt are also classic traits of an anti-hero. They often lack confidence in themselves, refuse to accept their fate as a hero or don’t even realise their status or ability. At a certain point, anti-heroes usually transcend into either a tragic or romantic hero. Anti-heroes can be identified in many different texts, however, all of them consist of those traits.In ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is the hero of the play. He is a good man, described as being :“the kind of man –powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led…” He is feared and respected throughout the town of Salem, but few know that he is guilty of adultery with the teenage servant Abigail Williams. As a result of this affair, Proctor is caught in guilt, which effects his self-perception. “Were I stone I would have cracked for shame this seven month!”He regards himself as a fraud. These insecurities are the foundation of Proctors character development into an anti-hero.The first signs of Proctor being an anti-hero evolve when accusations of witchcraft arise and he is torn between confessing to adultery and revealing the information he knows to save innocent lives. He understands his obligations but is still hesitant due to his fear of the consequences. He says to Elizabeth“I know I cannot keep it! I say I will think on it!’The difficult decision and pressure is thrust upon Proctor and his reluctance to reveal his knowledge enhances his anti-hero visage. He puts his reputation before doing the right thing and c...
