John Proctor was the first man to be accused of witchcraft. He was defending his wife and had previously expressed himself against the proceedings and trials of the women of Salem who were being accused of witchcraft. He was arrested and condemned to death.
Proctor was given the option to confess and initially agreed, but in the end preferred to die. He realized that he could not sign an untrue confession with his name. Rather than losing what was left of his reputation and integrity, he decided to be executed in the gallows.
Eventually, the truth came out, the accusations retired and the families were compensated. Salem learned the value of integrity and innocence, even when the verdict is implacable.