John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

For me, John Proctor appears as more of a hero than a stooge in the play, especially in the final two acts.  At first, he just tries to prevent anything he can from happening in the court, like in the second act when he told Mary Warren to not go to Salem.  He also couldn't believe that there were so many people arrested already at that point.  Especially in the second act, there is a question about whether or not Proctor is associated with the devil.  Later, when Proctor has decided to move past his previous unproductive goal, he takes all of his anger out on the court officials, even the Head Honcho Judge.  After he has overcome his wrongdoings, he confesses that he has "known" Abigail, and even tells his wife, who didn't know before.  However heroic that was, I do agree with Hale that there was an absence of god in that courtroom with all the shouting and cursing which lead up to this.  In the last act, He lies to get himself out of the situation, but then rebells and tells the court officials constantly that everything they have been doing is a lie.  I consider this heroic because he liberated them from their old beliefs, and he was speaking his mind.

On the other hand, I see nothing that Proctor does as "stooge-like" or comical, as he does a lot of shouting and regulating who does what.