John Proctor: hero or stooge?

          I think that John Proctor would be described as a hero. A hero, to me, is someone who puts others before themselves, has strong beliefs, and will stand up for those beliefs and what they think is right. For most of the play, and especially the end, John Proctor does just this. I am not saying that he was always a good Christian and acted like a hero. In the beginning of the play, John was portrayed very differently. He had a moment of weakness and lapse in judgment in his affair with Abigail. However, I don't think that this made him a stooge.

             Throughout the whole play, John was one of the only people who wasn't afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right. Proctor didn't give into the peer pressure, he knew that Abigail and the girls were sending innocent people to their deaths, and he had enough courage and sense of morality to take a stand. Even apart from his morality, Proctor was also the most sensible and rational character. He could step back see the flaws in the way the trials were being handled. Other characters, like Danforth, were too proud and couldn’t see through to the truth. Even if Abigail hadn’t told John that there was no witchcraft, I think he still would have had the sense and awareness to question the girls’ motives.

            John’s admirable behavior is especially visible towards the end of the play. Even when Proctor himself is being accused of witchcraft, he doesn’t cave. He could have turned in another innocent person to save himself, but he didn’t, and that is what makes John Proctor a hero.