It hardly takes a discerning eye to realize that life does not consist of fairy tale endings. That fact is all too apparent in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a work which has been labeled a tragedy by many critics. Robert Heilman defines a tragedy as a work of literature in which a character divided within the self makes choices, bears the consequences of those choices, gains a new awareness, and suffers victory in defeat. …showed first 75 words of 587 total…

…showed last 75 words of 587 total…forever engraves in the world’s mind the honor of commitment, a value which will forever be noble. It appears the critics were right: The Crucible is a tragedy. But the uniqueness of the play is what captured my heart. In fact, I cannot think of a more appropriate effect of a tragedy than this: that an unlikely hero is found in an unworthy man. This moving possibility restores my faith in present day paladins.