Proctor's honor, respect, and his good name are what kept him from pleading adultery, which would most likely have ceased in the witch trials. Elizabeth even asked him to go to court and tell them that Abigail is a fake! However he states "I can't keep it in, I'll think about it!" (Miller) Which is all due to his dignity. However, when Elizabeth is taken to prison, John has a choice between his pride and his wife Elizabeth. He tries to compromise by taking Mary Warren to court. Only to save his wife, confessing lies and tricks regarding the accused witches. After a while, this backfires when Mary Warren reports him and he is forced to admit that he is an adulterer, putting aside his self-respect to free his wife. However Proctor is also taken to prison after his wife, Elizabeth is questioned about Proctor's confession by Judge Danforth, who says, "Is your husband a lecher!?" (Miller) Elizabeth denies this in an attempt to protect Proctor's name, instead resulting in Proctor's arrest for lying and witchcraft. This shows that Proctor is trying to do better, but his disasters continue to affect him and cause pain to the readers