Integrity or Death or...?

Should John Proctor have chosen to save his life? I have had a particularly hard time answering this question, and I most probably still won’t reach a conclusion by the end of this post. I think the reason that I struggled so much with it was that I honestly would have saved myself, even though I know the “right” thing to do would be to die. Nevertheless, I will make an attempt to defend my hypothetical choice.

Proctor defines himself with his integrity -- this is his tragic flaw in the play.  Saving his own life with a lie would sully everything he believes in, while sticking to his guns, so to speak, leads to his death. Essentially, his choice boils down to integrity or death.

...But not really. I think there are factors other than integrity and death that must be taken into account in his situation. He has responsibilities to his expectant wife, to the people of his town, and to life in general. If all the decent people in Salem decided to give their lives in the name of integrity, no one would remain to perpetuate the very message they died for. I feel sacrilegious in saying this, but it could even be a possibility that Proctor used the facade of maintaining his integrity as a personal escape from the horrors of life and mass hysteria in Salem. 

People make fun of Romeo and Juliet for killing themselves in the name of love all the time. Why, then, is Proctor’s decision to kill himself in the name of integrity not equally as foolish? In the end, is it really so wrong to choose to live?