He is a farmer from Salem who has an affair with Abigail that ultimately changes his life. Only a few people know about the matter. “Proctor thinks that by lying to the court, he will only add one lie to the sin of adultery” (Sundstrand). This quote shows that John has a sense of guilt and believes that speaking out about the truth will have the best outcome for him. Therefore, Proctor confesses the affair to the court. The reason he does this is to save his wife Elizabeth, who lies for John to save her name. This works in that Elizabeth is saved, but John is scheduled to be hanged. His decision is the climax of the play because the deaths begin to increase. The choice is intelligent because sooner or later people would have discovered that John had committed adultery. John knew that the consequences would not be positive for his choices. He didn't want his name ruined all over town for his children and he didn't want to be on the confession list posted on the church wall. John is eventually hanged and dies due to the decision to take his own life because he feels it is better to die than lie anymore. His choice affected other people's lives, not just his own. John's name gains more honor and self-respect after the hanging because he chose his wife's life over his own.