You can compare John Proctor to Arthur Miller himself. The Crucible, which is about the Salem Witch Trials, was inspired by McCarthyism and the trials that resulted under the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. During this time, artists like Miller were put on trial and asked to give the names of their friends and neighbors who were communists. Miller refused to give any names, just like how John Proctor refused to give any names.
To think of other American heroes, let's first consider the characteristics of John Proctor. He is strong-willed and stands up for his beliefs. Although he commits adultery, we can see that he does care about his wife and tries to save her. He is falsely accused of witchcraft, and dies refusing to falsely confess or give other names. Can you think of any people that were or are in similar situations?
It is hard to find a...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
modern hero exactly like John Proctor. These days, the only people who are generally brought down by sex scandals are politicians and prominent religious leaders.
While it is debatable whether he could be called a hero, pastor Ted Haggard did face scandal for sexual misconduct when he was president of the National Association of Evangelicals in 2006. At that time, a man named Mike Jones accused Haggard of paying him for sex and buying crystal meth from him. Like Proctor's adulterous sex with Abigail, Haggard's gay sex in the evangelical church caused a huge problem for him.
Like Proctor, Haggard was a hypocrite. Haggard apparently drugged himself from self loathing; Proctor also suffers from self loathing over his affair with Abigail.
Haggard's career was destroyed because of his mistake in hiring a male prostitute while at the same time publicly denouncing homosexuality as a sin and an evil. Like Proctor, Haggard was able to come clean, confessing that he did have sex with Jones and did use drugs. Both men regained some self-respect through confession. Haggard has even started a new church.
The parallels are not exact, but they are food for thought. Another person you might think about is President Bill Clinton.
I would offer Richard Nixon as an example of a tragic hero, which is what John Proctor is in The Crucible.
President Nixon gave into temptation, a form of cheating and betrayal for the sake of power. The Watergate Scandal dominates the Nixon legacy. Like John Proctor who gives into his feelings for Abigail and betrays his wife, Nixon, a good President with many accomplishments, including getting the United States out of Vietnam and improving relations with China is shadowed by one event.
Like Proctor, who surrenders his life, Nixon had to surrender his political life, he resigned. John Proctor, a good man, who was a stable member of the community, a good provider, and husband, like Nixon, lost all credibility and integrity in the community.
Nixon and Proctor both good men, who engaged in different forms of conspiracy and betrayal, are led to the same result; the end of trust, the inability for those around them to trust them ever again.
I suspect you would have to define "hero" to get a really useful answer to this one. In some ways, Jimmy Carter was similar. He admitted to lusting in his heart, as Proctor clearly did. That heart was clearly a good one, as evidenced by his devotion to building houses and helping people since his presidency. However, he also waffled back and forth, as Proctor kind of does. He publicly suffered for his beliefs, as Proctor does.