Post by lemoise35 on Oct 11, 2011 15:36:37 GMT -5
As I was finishing the play, I noticed a particular line spoken by Reverend Hale that seemed to fit in well with the discussion about Proctor and his tragic flaw. On page 145, the last page of the play, Hale says, "Woman! It is pride, it is vanity." Hale says this as he is pleading with Elizabeth to stop Proctor from letting himself be hanged. Hale realizes Proctor's flaw is leading him to his death. Proctor does not want to give in and confess he is a witch for the sake of his life because he is too proud of his character and does not want the townspeople to think of him as the kind of person who gives in. This is shown when Proctor asks the judge why his confession must be hung up for all of the people of Salem to see (seen on pages 141 and 142). Therefore, the play's tragic hero falls as a result of his flaw--peripiteia.