Why is the news regarding abigail of particular concern to the court?

In act IV of "The Crucible," the news regarding Abigail is of particular concern to the court because her departure allows Proctor to come to an understanding of what a good reputation means. He no longer seeks to protect the court or justify their actions. He chooses to muster the courage to die heroically and recover the sense of honesty he lost when beginning his affair with Abigail.