Just as Proctor and Elizabeth were getting somewhere Hale enters. This makes the audience react to Hale as being annoying despite the fact he could bring good news – “there is a quality of deference about his manner now.” The two of them are suspicious of Hale as he arrives after dark and Elizabeth “never letting him out of her sight.” When Hale says that Elizabeth is “mentioned” in the court, he is trying to make it subtler than it actually is, as we find out later in the play that it is something more serious than how Hale describes it at first. He hides that she is “mentioned” by picking up that he arrived from Rebecca Nurses house. “I come now from Rebecca Nurse’s house. Elizabeth: “shocked.” This is the desired effect of Hale (and Miller) was that Elizabeth (and the audience) thinks Salem has gone crazy because there is no-one more innocent than Rebecca. In Act One she is portrayed as a sweet lady who was only interested of the welfare of Salem. This is backed by Proctor saying, “Surely, you cannot think so.”
As Hale gets comfortable, he begins to question Proctor and find any faults in him, because he is clearly struggling. Proctor tries to come back with arguments that are weaker than Hale but Hale seems to accept them. Hale tells Proctor he has no suspicion of him and Proctor tells him that he has done physical work to the church, to make a point of the fact. Hale though is more devious “not altogether giving way” and uses this to gain more of an upper hand over Proctor because he is difficult to overcome. Hale wants to see if Proctor really does believe in Christianity. Presumably because he doesn’t trust Proctor, especially since the “golden candlesticks,” like Proctor doesn’t trust himself towards the end of Act two. Hale “administers a secret test” to Proctor and asks him his commandments. Proctor is “a trifle unsteady and forgets one commandment that is “thou shalt not commit adultery.” This is of some significance as Proctor did so with Abigail – whom he and Elizabeth were arguing about before Hale entered. The way Elizabeth tells him “delicately” could add to his “secret arrow paining his heart.” The tension now becomes great as Proctor wishes Hale to get of his house. Proctor is annoyed with the questioning as he realises his ‘power’ lessening. “Proctor deep in his attempt to define this man.” This proves the struggle between Hale and Proctor and proctor has met his match, in the sense that not everybody will give into him easily, which is confirmed towards the end of the Act. Hale digs a hole for himself when he says, “theology is a fortress.” He carries onto say “No crack in a fortress may be accounted small. (He rises and seems worried).” Hale could be worried because of what he just said could be interpreted in two different ways, either, religion must stick together or what made him worried – religion should be open and encouraging people to join Christianity rather than shutting its doors or people and defending itself in its fortress.
As Hale is about to leave, Elizabeth makes a silly mistake by asking Hale “I do think you are questioning me somewhat? Are you not?” This is like pressing the self-destruct button on her marriage, as Proctor could have been safe but instead brought back into the limelight. She adds to this by saying in desperation “I think you must tell him John.” This, just as Hale is about to step outside the door. This is a mistake but Elizabeth is said to have never made a lie, she is feeling guilty and now Proctor suddenly seems to be in more control, like a role-reversal of earlier. Hale knows he is onto a large fault, rather than a small crack in Proctor’s fortress. On the other hand Proctor could be feeling a number of things but especially cornered, “with difficulty.” Proctor is pressurised into saying Abigail’s name. He hesitates and by doing so this could be putting Elizabeth, awkwardly, back into the position of being the strongest. This confuses the audience, as now they don’t know whether to be supporting or leaving Proctor alone. Hale senses some suspicion on Proctor’s part and says, “Do you falter here?” Proctor though is aware of this and comes back with a thoughtful speech. This “impressed” Hale and makes him want to break Proctor even more. Proctor “knows this is critical” and is careful what to says as he realises Hale is onto him. “I have no knowledge of it” as Hale asks him about witches and then Proctor twigs that it could come across of not having belief so he is able to back it up by talking of the Bible. If he didn’t he would have dug a bigger hole for himself. As the tension rises the audience become uneasy as they get the impression that something dramatic is going to happen because Elizabeth cannot control herself, for she hasn’t spoken for a long time, Proctor is being confronted by Hale, who is getting more and more suspicious. This is because Proctor is speaking for Elizabeth. This adds to the ever-increasing tension and makes the situation even uneasier. Hale asks Elizabeth the same question and she does not believe in witches. This shocks Hale and the audience; they would have thought that, Elizabeth, who is a follower of the church, would have gone along with his interpretation of the Bible. The tension has reached a dramatic high but that is calmed when Giles Corey and Francis Nurse appear in the doorway.
There is a lapse in tension among the Proctor household but this is cancelled out by the drama of Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey being taken. It is an annoyance for the audience, as they would need a break from the commotion previously. They need time to relax and Miller adding more characters could appear confusing. Cheever enters and adds more puzzlement to the plot at this time but the bewilderment is cleared up as not so many of the characters speak as more one-to-one conversations start. The bewilderment clearing up doesn’t excuse the tension, which becomes sky-high when Cheever reveals he has a warrant for Elizabeth. Hale will be feeling rather embarrassed as he said Elizabeth were “mentioned” but not charged. Proctor angrily says to Hale “You said she were not charged!” This further widens the gap between Proctor and Hale. By doing so Proctor could have lost his only chance to get Elizabeth out of this mess and Proctor becomes more isolated.
Elizabeth is in a mess and the audience can feel the inevitability of the situation against Elizabeth as Miller reintroduces the poppet. The poppet is found to have a needle stuck into the stomach. Proctor says, “What signifies a needle?” The evidence is now overwhelming as Cheever replies by saying that today in her house “without word nor warning she falls to the floor” and is found with a needle sticking out. This is hard enough evidence for Cheever as he says “’Tis hard proof!” Proctor is now in full support of his wife, a complete opposite to the start of the Act where there was little relationship between the two. However Proctor tries to find every possibility to ‘save’ Elizabeth. He calls Mary down who gave Elizabeth the poppet that was thought to be so innocent earlier in the Act by the audience. Proctor feels that Mary making it is enough and says to Hale “Now, sir – do you have it?” as he gets ever more distressed. He is talking quicker now and keeps asking Hale if it is good enough, especially when he finds Mary stuck the needle in herself. This is good for Hale but he cannot overrule the fact that Abigail charged her and when Elizabeth knows this, she is angry and retaliates by saying “She must be ripped out of this world.” This is the final straw for the witnesses there and she almost locked herself in jail for saying that.
Proctor, after hearing Elizabeth becomes extremely desperate and rips up the warrant. Elizabeth is watching this and she must be feeling caught up by the fuss so relieves Proctor by saying “I’ll go John.” This is the catalyst for Proctor; he becomes so desperate he’ll try anything and resorts to telling Herrick he’ll pay him. After Herrick refuses “Proctor stands there, gulping air.” He knows he losing a battle fast and hasn’t got anything left in him to win it. He is feeling guilty when he has done nothing wrong and begins to hate himself for not helping Elizabeth when he couldn’t have done anything in the first place. Miller shows the audience that whatever the Proctor’s go through their love for each other will still remain strong. To release some anger inside himself he tries to see off Hale and confronts Mary. He tries to find the truth, as he wants any sort of clues to help Elizabeth. His anguish is at an all time high, he finally apprehends that he cannot function without Elizabeth, “hesitating, and with a deep hatred of himself,” and that he shouldn’t have disregarded her earlier in the Act.
The end of the Act ends in very high tension with Proctor telling a speech almost and more or less giving up shouting at Mary. Miller makes the audience feel sorry for Proctor who had been on the stage throughout the Act. As the curtain falls the audience are left to think about Proctor’s fights against the court, and in some aspects, himself, where he did not know how to treat Elizabeth until the very end. He is a vital role to the rest of the play and this Act will be an important look-back for him at the end of the play.
