John Proctor : Hero or Stooge?

When I hear the word stooge I immediately think of that silly Christmas movie, and I couldn't help but wonder "is this really who John Proctor is?" Is he this horrible, cooped up character wanting to shine evil on the whole world? I think he's the exact opposite in fact. what exactly makes someone a hero? Is it the fact that they have "saved" something or someone. The fact that I believe John Proctor to be wanting to end the Salem witch trials makes him a hero. Sure of course he hesitated to throw Abigail under the bus when he had the chance, that was only to protect his good name. The fact that he then sacrificed that reputation only to save Elizabeth proves him to be  hero-worthy to me. John Proctor has had many lies and flaws in his character that may lead us to believe that he is nothing more than a mere old man, but I believe all of his lies add up to a good cause; him wanting to end the injustices.