John Proctor - Hero or Stooge

John Proctor assumes the stooge role because he had no choice other than to confess to his wrongdoing, even though whahe confessed was fake. When he was said to be associated with the devil, the only way to avoid automatic hanging was to confess. He dug himself into a hole when he layered lie on top of lie and it all blows up in his face in the end. By the end of the story, he has nearly saved himself but decides to go against all his past decisions when he comes to the document. He is able to sign parts of the testimony but cannot bring himself to sign the rest. His good reputation in the town became irrelevant as soon as his affair with Abigail became exposed. The problem rose when he said his wife was an honest woman who would never lie. When he had to tell the court of the affair, his wife, thinking she was doing the right thing for her husband in lying, does not mention lechery to the judge. Automatically, John is believed to be the one lying. He continues to dig himself in a hole when lying about dealing with witchcraft but then not being able to sign the document mentioned earlier. To be called a hero, the situation would have to have been resolved by John Proctor, or at least made better. Neither happened. He can be described as a stooge with his many faults and the decisions he made. He had the chance to solve the problem by signing the document. When he lies again about his confession, there is no purpose in sacrificing himself anymore. He did not save himself or anyone else and therefore cannot be called a hero.