Many people live their lives consumed by guilt over things they did in their past. John Proctor had everything an average Puritan could want: a thriving farm to work on constantly, three sons to discipline, and a beautiful wife to make a home with. Proctor was a stand-up guy who spoke his mind. In town, his name was synonymous with honor and integrity. He took pleasure in calling out hypocrisy and was respected for it. Most importantly, John Proctor respected himself. Then came Abigail Williams, with whom he made the mistake of his life. John made the mistake of committing adultery with her. To make matters worse, it was also lust, since Proctor was in his forties and Abigail was only seventeen. It only took one shameful encounter to destroy John's most precious asset: his self-esteem. John Proctor is extremely guilty of his affair with Abigail. He admitted this guilt in court. The overseer's confession only succeeds in leading to his arrest and conviction as a witch. He does not admit to being a witch and does not want to write a confession. He doesn't want to lie because he knows it's not something he should do. Instead, he prefers to get hanged for lying and losing his respectability in society. Another character who exhibits this trait would be Mr. Putnam. He was very greedy and wanted more and more land. He accused many people of witchcraft, and once they were hanged, he would buy their land. Thomas Putnam uses witch trials to increase his wealth. Mr. Putnam accused George Jacobs of witchcraft so that he could buy Jacob's land. Giles Corey claims that a reliable witness heard Putnam make an incriminating statement. However, when Corey refuses to name the witness for fear that the witness will be arrested, Danforth imprisons Corey. Corey was arrested for contempt of court and was imprisoned for this reason. He