#3 - John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

          The definition for hero is "a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities" The definition of Stooge is "a person who serves merely to support or assist others, particularly in doing unpleasant work." 

          Proctor doesn't fit the classic label of a hero yet he isn't the laughingstock of the town. So what category would John Proctor fall under? The short answer is that he doesn't fall into the Hero or the Stooge category, he falls in between. I call him, an Anti-hero.

          On the outside, Proctor looks like a hero, but we see what personal conflicts he's going through. His wife did nothing wrong, but was still sentenced to death. He feels that he owes her. He is willing to do whatever it takes, whether it be good or bad. This is not something selfless, he owes her and is going to pay her back in any way he can. An anti-hero is a person that does achieves what they want, when they want. But they generally aren't evil, they provide justice in their own weird twisted way.