After proctor tells her that he means to please her, the eye contact becomes more intense for a split second but soon disappears. Her facial expression is of fake happiness maybe even slight sadness. As she replies she looks at Proctor for the beginning of the line “I know it…” but then looks down when she says “John.” Indicating it is very hard for her to say. When Proctor tries to kiss her she does not lean in towards it but sits very still and up right in her chair, looking away. She receives it but does not return it. After he has sat down she continues to look at him, which is when he sullenly says “Cider.” In a thanking sort of way, for changing the subject she quickly stands replying “Aye!” The subject back onto the farm, Elizabeth still shows that there is something still annoying her. She walks quickly back with the cider and places it by him, and sits back down. Proctor then introduces the idea of flowers in the house, she answers quickly, and looking around, hands on the table and feet perfectly together on the floor. She says that she has forgotten, but this is not top on her list, so says it rather quickly, with the air of not really caring about it. Proctor then suggests that they go on a walk together one day to look at the flowers; he finishes the sentence with saying how beautiful Massachusetts is in the spring. Elizabeth only responds to this, not the walk through the wood together. Her answer is short and quick, and as she says it has a knowing look upon her face and nods slightly but it is obvious that she doesn’t care and this is not what she is thinking about at the moment.
There is a pause and she continues to watch him for a short while, with a look of enquiry and un-knowing on her face. When he does not say anything she gets up and picks up his plate and cutlery. She does this briskly not saying a word. She stands by the basin, after placing the plate and cutlery in it. She has her back to him and does not move, but waits.
Proctor then says “I think you’re sad again, are you?” She doesn’t reply immediately and still doesn’t turn round, as if holding back words. She soon does however and when she speaks it is slowly, this is because she does not want an argument so she makes it look as if she is the one in the wrong asking herself a stupid question in her mind. This immediately lowers her status ever so slightly.
His reply is harsh and sudden, which doesn’t strike her, if anything makes her slightly more frightened, she rubs her hands around each other nervously but subtly, yet still stands tall. “You did speak of going, earlier this week.” As if reminding him, that she had good reason to think that he might have gone Salem that day.
When she tells him that Mary Warren had gone that day, she looks at him directly; she still does not move her body though, she announces it very clearly. After his reply she has weakened a little, she knew that by telling him this it would get to him, now she can see that he is holding back from shouting. This still gives her the upper status. So when she says “I couldn’t stop her.” She shakes her head slightly but still watches him. She then goes on to say how Mary Warren frightened all her strength and power away from her, at this she will step forward, it’s now that she begins to use her body to express, all the way so far her torso has stayed upright. As she steps forward she looks Proctor in the eye. And she moves her arms forward, which shows her weakness breaking through.
“It is a mouse no more. I forbid her to go, and she raises up her chin like the daughter or a prince and says to me, ‘I must go to Salem, Goody Proctor, I am an official in the court!”
In the role of Elizabeth the actress should start to use a lot more expression, walk closer to Proctor. On “It is a mouse no more” She should shake her head ever so slightly, and then at “I forbid her to go” stop and look at Proctor directly, as if to prove that she had done something right. She would then look away when saying how Mary raises her chin like the daughter of a Prince; she would then look back at Proctor with her chin raised and imitate Mary’s words. (Not in a mimicking way though- seriously)
Her next lines should be said eagerly although with a look of worry on her face. (About the court) As the lines go on more and more about the court, her fear shows though, she starts to speak faster and although still clear.
It is her next phrase where she expresses the most fear, she is telling John about her worries and it comes spilling out extremely fast. She hasn’t wanted to bring Abigail into it, because it is un-spoken about it that household, but she doesn’t seem to be able to control it. When she says ‘John’ at the end of “The deputy Governor Promise hangin’ if they’ll not confess” she says it quickly and as she does leans slightly forward and goes from just watching him to looking him in the eye. She realises that she how now shocked Proctor and feels comfortable to tell him that she thinks he should go to Salem. She will hold back at first, and sound a little unsure when saying it but should not be looking at Proctor, wait for him to look at her after her saying “I think you should go to Salem” and then look up at him and say “I think so. You must tell them it is a fraud.” Her expression should be as though she has just reassured herself and is certain.
She soon realises that she might have taken it a bit far with telling him that he has to go and see Ezekiel Cheever. So she should timidly say “God forbid you keep that from the court, John, I think they must be told.” She does not want to anger him or annoy him so it should be said rather quietly; lowering her voice she should slowly move towards him on the second half of the sentence.
While telling him that he should go that night her voice should have an air of innocence about. After not getting the reply she wants she becomes a little more courageous due to her annoyance. “You cannot keep it, John” There is no pause between ‘it’ and ‘John’ just one smooth sentence. Her voice is louder and stern.
After he gets angry she becomes cold and when saying “Good then, let you think on it.” She begins to walk out of the room while saying it. She is annoyed and hurt. She looks away as soon as she begins to say “Good then…”
She stops and looks back when she realises that Proctor had been alone with Abigail. She urns around sharply and says it snappily, but still as a definite question.
Even more annoyed although slightly disappointed she, her facial expression looking hopeful for a glimpse until his feeble excuse arrives, at which she looses all faith in him and is very disappointed this is shown in her body language, her head slightly lowered and her eyes looking down, she turns swiftly ready to walk away.
After him telling her that he will not have her suspicion anymore she becomes more angry than disappointed. Saying sarcastically “I have no…” (Suspicion, before interrupted). His next line of anger increases hers and it is now that she starts to walk back into the room. As she is walking, she says with a slightly raised voice “then let you earn it.”
She soon realises that she has to keep her dignity so her next line she begins with “John” she looks straight at him and smiles a little. She finishes that line however with a rhetorical question. Which when said, is said with pride and sarcasm.
He tries to take the dominant role, but she is having none of it. Telling John quite sharply that she sees what she sees. She knows this is cheeky of her but, she doesn’t care. She says it sharply and is not afraid to look him in the eye.
His next rant is about Abigail, which angers her so her face changes from annoyance to anger. She still stands tall however and when he tells her that he has forgotten Abigail, she interrupts and says that she has too. The actress should lift her hands up slightly and look up to the ceiling.
His next speech calms her anger a bit but turns it into sadness, she realises what a lie and sham her marriage is, she complains to him. “John, you are not open with me. You saw her with a crowd, you said, now you-“Her arms should be hung loosely at her side and she should just be staring at him. Her anger has gone and it is back into disappointment.
She tries to justify herself but gets cut off which annoys her so while he is telling her that he will listen no more she looks at him in despair, but realises something that he has said. “And judge me not”. She replies calmly and smiling a bit in a patronising way says “I do not judge you.” Pauses “the magistrate sits in your heart judges you.” She knows that this will get to him. She know shows him her disappointment in him “I never thought you but a good man” emphasizing the ‘good’ and ‘but’. She then pauses again and before turning away again says “-only somewhat bewildered” smiling almost laughing.
Elizabeth should be played as an uptight moral sort of woman and only when she does let her weaknesses through does she not keep her perfect posture. She is kind, also very stern however, and purse lipped. Her facial expression rarely changes apart from when overwhelmed emotions.