John Proctor: Hero or Stooge

I believe that John Proctor is a very odd mixture of both a hero and a stooge because as stooge-like as he handled his problems, he stood up for what he believed. He was brave enough to stand in front of the court and admit to having an affair with Abigail in order to save his wife, albeit no one believed him but it's the the thought that counts, right? That part him is quite heroic but that part is only a fraction of who he is. The issues with Abigail or with Parris and the court were not  handled very eloquently and he often times made situations worse. I can admire Proctor because in a puritanical society, it cannot be easy to stand up for your beliefs But he did anyway. No matter how much of a stooge it made him.