Fear is the underlying cause for all the lies told in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. When a person can set aside fear when carrying out an action, they can be considered courageous. John Proctor is the character that fits that description. Unshaken by the possible consequences, he brings out Abigail's possible motive for claiming to see Elizabeth with the devil. He makes the town aware of the fact that they had shared more than just friendly interaction. With an entire town against him, he strives to bring out the truth behind the stories of witches and devils. Even when it seems that the only hope left is to confess to working with the devil, he sacrifices his life in order to keep his dignity. John Proctor's willingness to suffer consequences set him apart from the rest of the town whose actions were controlled by their fear. He sacrifices his name and went against the word of the town, and ultimately faces death all for the fight for what he believes to be the unknown truth.
             At the risk of ruining his name, John Proctor reveals that Abigail's plan is to destroy Elizabeth in order to get to him. In the court of law, he pronounces his affair with the young servant. "She thinks to dance on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat" (110). Proctor, in his plea to Danforth, admits that he knows the intent behind Abigail's accusations against his wife. She wants Elizabeth dead so that she can have Proctor for herself. He admitted that, at on time she had had him. He asks for forgiveness from the court and from God because he had committed adultery. As a result, he knew hat he had ruined his name, the moment he had disclosed the truth of his and Abigail's relationship. Yet, to him it was all done as a selfless act to save the woman that he
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