John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

John Proctor is one of the most complex characters in the story. He is confused with what he wants and sometimes his morals can be out of line. In the beginning of the story, I was sure he was pure stooge because he had an affair with Abigail, his wife’s servant girl. He was not faithful to his wife Elizabeth. He seemed not intrested and cold toward her by saying, “No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me of your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! ...Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not”. He gets mad at her for not letting it go, but he should be more considerate of her feelings and the effect it had on her. Elizabeth tells him, “I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart the judges you”. This makes him less stoogy in my eyes. It shows he is so guilty that he feels his wife judged him or thinks she should. In the end he tries to do the right thing and save his wife, along with the rest of the town from the delusion the girls are causing. When he is given the perfect chance to fix the whole problem and prove Abby a liar, he compromises his good name. He tells everyone of his affair to save his wife from death. This makes John a hero. John has the tendancy to make mistakes, but deep down I belive he is a good man.