John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

This argument is about the main character of the play "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller.

I believe that Proctor, even with all his faults and imperfections, could still be considered the hero of this story. Although his name is brought down by the horrid crime of lechery, Proctor should still be considered a good person.
One example that shows Proctor knows goodness is how he isn't willing to let his own sin's consequences harm another person. When Elizabeth was taken away to Salem after Mary set her up with the supposedly witched poppet, Proctor was adamant that he go to Salem to right this wrong. He knew it was because of his lust for Abigail that led to Abigail wanting to remove Elizabeth so that she could take Elizabeth's place. This just shows how even though Proctor committed sin, he still tried his best to stop it from causing other's pain because of his own fault.
Another reason Proctor is a hero is that he is willing to do something that helps others rather than helps himself. During the convincing of Proctor to confess, he was willing to lie and sin again so that he could have a chance at life. What finally made him to make this decision was the fact that his children and wife needed him. He made the right choice, but unfortunately for him, he was still to be hanged.
These reasons and examples, combined with the fact that he was very aware of the fact that this craze about witchcraft was false and attempted to stop it (which very few people in the town of Salem were brave enough to do), depicts John Proctor as a hero.