Abigail got his wife suspected of witchcraft, which was the equivalent of a death sentence back then. In order to save her, Proctor had to confess to his adultery with Abigail.
Proctor could not let his own sin be the reason Abigail got away with her lies.
Was John Proctor a hero, or did his adultery contribute to the hysteria?
This is a picture that includes lines from Hamlet's soliloquy, and it says conscience does make cowards of us all. In a way, this is the opposite of what happens to Proctor. His conscience made him do the right thing. He would not lie about others, and it cost him his life.
