John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

In my opinion, John Proctor is both a hero and a stooge. John Proctor is indeed an adulterous man. This is revealed in the beginning of the book. Here, in a conversation with Abigail, he tells her that he has no interest in her whatsoever. This is in response to her complaints that he is unfaithful to her, even though he certainly loves her. Despite the fact that Proctor is an adulterer, he does seem to have seem to have some sort of moral recognition. During the play, he speaks to Elizabeth Proctor, his wife, over his transgressions. Proctor is full of guilt over his adultery, but Elizabeth has no knowledge of his transgression, and she informs him of such, to his amazement. By the time that Act IV arrives, Proctor has confessed his sin of adultery. In the Puritan point of view, he is vindicated. His willingness to confess his violation of the Ten Commandments and the moral laws of the society are important, but they do little for his lot. The fact that he committed adultery soon serves to doom him, as Abigail who uses every advantage possible to manipulate Puritan society to her favor. Proctor’s confession severs his bonds with her, and this will likely incur her anger. And so that sense, Proctor is a stooge; he made a foolish error at a terrible time to do so, that time being the time of moral purges in the Puritan community.