Crucible, John and Elizabeth Proctor
Essay title: Crucible, John and Elizabeth Proctor
Throughout the play John and Elizabeths relationship goes from seeming like the perfect relationship to one of uncertainty as we uncover the cracks displayed by both parties, due to many reasons, his affair with Abigail and “the ever last funeral” that marches around Elizabeths heart.
When we first seem John and Elizabeth it appears to be the perfect household. John has just come in from a hard days work, Elizabeth is upstairs singing lullabies to their children and there is a stew bubbling on the stove. When he enters he instantly goes over to the cooking pot, tastes the contents is not pleased, and adds more salt, from that point we can tell that there is cracks in their relationship. He then hears Elizabeth coming and goes to the basin and washes his hands and face. As soon as she sees him she inquires as what hes been doing and why he is back so late, with an air of mistrust, this tells us that she is still very much guarded in relation to her emotions and is still suspicious of John because of his affair with Abby. Over dinner she appears to be very short with him, yet they seem eager to please each other, as proctors tells her its well seasoned she “blushes with pleasure” but the atmosphere has a slight change when he is at the door way looking at the night sky and she is at the table a “sense of their separation” arises. She tells him of Mary Warren going to Salem Proctor talks to her in a very condescending way, and throughout the convocation she learns that he was alone with Abigail she becomes very suspicious and he in reaction to this becomes angry and stubborn as she gently interrogates him she then appears to lose all faith in him. He then loses his temper and becomes furious telling her that “Ill have your suspicion no more” and that hes “I have gone tiptoe in this house”. Once he then asks for forgiveness, but she tells him that it is only him that can forgive himself, to this he retorts with “oh your justice would freeze beer”. His anger soon dies away when the men come to arrest Elizabeth; he becomes angry and protective and begs them not to chain her, displaying his passionate love for her despite their earlier spat.
In Act 3 Proctor admits to lechery in front of the court; telling them, in reference to Abigail;” it is a whore”. When they ask how he can say this he then says; “I have