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The Crucible

 

            The word crucible means a severe test or trial. This definition fits perfectly into the play and tragedy of John Proctor. Proctor had to face perhaps the greatest trial a person could ever face in their life and that trial is whether or not I should give my life for a cause I believe in? This is one of the reasons Proctor fits so well into the role of a modern tragic figure. He came from very plain and humble background and in his time of greatest trial, he is nearly deserted by the rest of the world. All of which explains how Proctor's experience as well as Salem's hysteria fits perfectly into Seifrith's definition of tragedy.
             The first section of Seifrith's definition states, "Tragedy has to do with a person of energy and depth trapped outside the human race. When this person recognizes his exclusion, he enters a dark night of suffering where he is stripped of all but his soul." Proctor fits into this section perfectly. At the beginning of the story, Proctor is a respectable person of his community. Yet as the play continues on, Proctor is slowly taken from a point of respect to near outcast as his reputation is put in danger. He also faces a huge challenge in whether or not he should tell the truth of what happened between Abigail and himself to save the community or if he should remain quiet to save himself from public ridicule. As he finally makes his decision to tell the world of his sin, he is believed to be a liar and forced into complete seclusion and defeat as he is imprisoned for his crime of witchcraft and perjury. He is stripped of everything he owns since he has lost his reputation and not been able to save the community from it's hysteria.
             The second section of Seifrith's definition says, "At this point, he is most free. Being most free chooses the destiny of his own soul rather than forcing another destiny that is not of his own MORIA. Then, he summits to a higher power.


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