Self-respect may not first come to mind when discussing beliefs and morals, but it's far more important than one may think. When it comes to self-respect, a balance between pride and modesty is important. Proctor conveys this idea as he is in a constant inner battle with himself throughout the text, constantly switching from holding himself high as a defense mechanism to holding himself low as he struggles to decide whether to tell the truth or lie. He, for many parts of the text, believes he may be deserving of the horrible reputation and the sin that comes with lying. However at the end of the text, once he refuses to lie, he says the line “You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not