First of all, some may accuse John of being a villain because he assisted the rise of hysteria. They believe that if he had not had the affair with Abigail, she would not have begun to accuse people of witchcraft. They might also say that if he had publicly confessed before the accusations started, Giles Corey and others would not have chosen to sacrifice their own lives. …show more content…
The fact that he sacrificed his life to preserve the dignity of his family’s name makes him one of the greatest heroes in the story. “Because it is my name!… How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name.” (Miller 143) This shows that above all else he wants his name to stay dignified and pure. Throughout the entire story he had been known as an intelligent, charismatic, dignified, and overall outstanding member of the town of Salem, he did not want to be remembered as anything else. In addition, he did not want his children to suffer because of his