John Proctor’s wife – Elizabeth – also stands trial for witchcraft. She comes across as very cold in play but this is only because of the affair John had; “Her back is turned to him. He turns to her and watches her. A sense of their separation arises.” Only at the end, does Elizabeth show how much her husband means to her by lying to save his good name.
The first time we see John and Elizabeth together is in act 2. This is when we learn a lot about their relationship with each other. It is clear that they are still in love with each other but they just can’t show their feelings. John spends the whole scene doing things that he hopes will please Elizabeth. This is shown when John first enters the kitchen; he adds salt, to the meal Elizabeth has cooked for him, without her knowing, then later on he compliments Elizabeth saying that she has seasoned the food well. “I mean to please you, Elizabeth.”
However, later on in act 2, he shows even more his dedication to Elizabeth. After Elizabeth has been arrested, he uses very aggressive language towards Mary “I will bring your guts into you mouth but the goodness will not die for me!” He doesn’t want Elizabeth to die because of him committing adultery, so he forces Mary to accuse Abigail, meaning that his good name could be ruined.
Later on in the play, in act 3, you see a different side to Elizabeth and John’s relationship. Elizabeth is asked a difficult question that her life depends on and she keeps on looking at John for help. “ELIZABETH tries to glance at proctor) You will look in my eyes only and not at your husband.” In this act John is prepared to ruin his good name to save his wife but when the court try and prove if he is lying or telling the truth, Elizabeth lies in order to protect his good name causing making it look like he was lying. “PROCTOR: Elizabeth, I have confessed it! ELIZABETH: Oh, God!”
In the last act – act 4 – they way they act towards each other is very different to how they act towards each other through out the rest of the play. Only in this act does Elizabeth forgive John and John forgives himself. “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” Their relationship is also now at its strongest, just before John dies. “(He has lifted her, and kisses her now with great passion.)” This is the first time we see them show their love for each other physically other than a very uncomfortable peck in act 2 “He gets up, goes to her, kisses her. She receives it. With a certain disappointment, he returns to the table.”
Their relationship is mirrored by what happens in the plot and the themes of the play. Through out the play John and Elizabeth’s relationship is tested, just as there are trials going on testing people for witchcraft. The whole witch trials are started off because of greed where the people of Salem are trying to get each other’s land. Greed is also the reason Elizabeth and John’s relationship goes through a rough patch, because John was greedy and wanted Abigail as well as his wife.
John and Elizabeth’s marriage is not what would be called a good one in the times “the crucible” is set. However, nowadays a large portion of marriages or relationships are tested because one or both of the people have cheated. In the seventeenth century, especially puritan life, the commandments and God where very important meaning that there were less people that did wrong things.