The beginning of Act II presents us with a marriage that
is, at best, under significant strain, and, at worst, on the point of collapse. Note how
keen Elizabeth is to please her husband, and note also at the same time how John is
trying to not criticise his wife - he eats the food even though he doesn't like it and
draws his wife's attention to the fact that she has forgotten his beer in a very kind
way. However, what exposes this pretence is Elizabeth's insistence that John must go to
Salem to denounce Abigail, who she knows had a relationship with John whilst she was
working in their house. Noe how Elizabeth presents the case to
John:
The
Deputy Governor promise hangin' if they'll not confess, John. The town's gone wild, I
think. She speak of Abigail, and I thought she were a saint, to hear her. Abigail brings
the other girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for
Israel. And folks are brought before them, and if they scream and howl and fall to the
floor - the person's clapped in the jail for bewitchin'
them.
Of course, Elizabeth
feels that her husband is reluctant to denounce what is going on because of his
relationship with Abigail. John does not help matters at all when he admits to his wife
that he saw Abigail by himself. Note how she responds to her husband after finding this
out, and pay particular attention to the stage
directions:
ELIZABETH: quietly - she has suddenly
lost all faith in him: Do as you wish, then. She starts to
turn.
In response
to John Proctor's anger, Elizabeth responds:
John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to
hurt, would you falter now? I think
not.
It is clear that
Elizabeth sees John's reluctance and hesitation to go to the court and denounce what is
happening as a sign of his continued affections towards Abigail.
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