Early in the scene John adds some salt to the pot, without tell telling his wife; this is in fear of her thinking he’s judging her. He says:
‘It’s well seasoned’
This is to make her feel better; he constantly wants to make Elizabeth happier. However he feels guilty because she replies with:
‘(Blushing with pleasure): I took great care’
As you can imagine John would start to feel awkward because Elizabeth took great care in cooking and yet did not get it the way John likes it. Yet it is a dramatic irony; as Elizabeth doesn’t know. This shows that John is working very hard to try and please Elizabeth; this enhances the amount of sympathy the audience gives to John.
At this moment in this scene my sympathies lie with John. This is because we have seen him earlier in the play and know his character; Also it has been a long time since he has had the affair with Abigail, meaning Elizabeth has held a grudge for a long time.
Elizabeth asks John to go into Salem, for John to accuse Abigail of fraud and make sure she doesn’t accuse anymore people. However she pushes him to do it:
‘(Quietly fearing to anger him by prodding)’
Elizabeth doesn’t want to make John angry; however she can’t stop herself. This angers John because he has a lot to lose, the fact that he has had an affair may come out, affecting his reputation in the Salem area. Also if he is in the spotlight it will be very easy for anyone to accuse him of being a warlock or a wizard. If he is accused he has the possibility of a death sentence.
John by mistake mentions that he was alone in a room with Abigail:
‘She told me in a room alone – I have no proof of it’
John makes the mistake of telling Elizabeth that he was in a room alone with Abigail. This sparks a fury in Elizabeth making her suspect that John is still with Abigail more than ever before. John snaps at her for it:
‘Woman. I’ll not have your suspicion any more.’
John doesn’t appreciate being a suspect all the time and he snaps at Elizabeth for being treated how he is and especially after what he has put back into the marriage. However he is angry with himself for letting his tongue slip, he takes his anger out on Elizabeth.
John knows he has done wrong; however he hates being judged by Elizabeth
‘(with a solemn warning): You will not judge me more, Elizabeth… let you look to your own improvement’
Once again John has become angry with Elizabeth because Elizabeth is constantly saying that John is in the wrong; however John believes that she has her own faults to amend first. He goes onto say that she should be more sympathetic:
‘You forget nothing and forgive nothing. Learn charity, woman… I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart.’
John explains to Elizabeth that he is ever so careful about what he says and does. He is also saying that Elizabeth needs to be able to forgive him for what he has done. Elizabeth has repeatedly shown him a cold behaviour, explained by the ‘funeral’ in her heart. The audience gains sympathies for both sides of the argument here as you appreciate John for speaking his mind and being honest; however it seems he is being a little harsh, shouting at Elizabeth like that.
Elizabeth is being provocative, making the argument start over again:
‘I do not judge you… I never thought you but a good man, John – [with a smile] – just some what bewildered.’
Elizabeth provokes John by being a hypocrite also God only has the divine rights to judge someone making John angry because he is very religious. This adds to the amount of sympathy the audience gives John because Elizabeth’s behaviour is arrogant and selfish. Also John is attempting to put things right:
‘I mean to please you, Elizabeth’
John is slowly attempting to build up her trust, and as he does this all the way through act 2 you get the impression that he has been attempting to put his sin right.
In this scene John has more sympathy than Elizabeth because he has a good character, and puts work into the relationship, also Elizabeth acts very coldly towards him making it difficult for John to carry on loving her. However it is a complex matter because Elizabeth also has the sympathy of the audience because John wronged her in the first place, also John has shouted and interrupted her as well.
After Mary has provided Elizabeth and John with new information; Elizabeth believes Abigail wishes to take her place:
‘thinks to kill me and take my place.’
Elizabeth’s fear is reasonable because from her position it seems to be fairly clear that Abigail wishes to kill her. The argument continues:
‘It speaks deceit and I am honest! …
I see now that your spirit twists around the single mistake of my life, and I will never tear it free!’
John feels that Elizabeth is being to harsh on him, because she will always remember and hold a grudge. This is the climax of the argument because Elizabeth has accused him of lying making John very angry and, using powerful language. At the climax of the argument; John gets more of my sympathies because Elizabeth seems to be very provocative and unforgiving
During the scene John has the most sympathy because we have seen his character earlier during the play; also Elizabeth seems to be very provocative and unforgiving. However it is complicated and I believe that Elizabeth has a fair amount of sympathy because she was wronged in the first place. I think Miller has written it in a way so that people can make their own mind up about where sympathies lie.
This play is a comparable for McCarthyism because within the McCarthyism phase you could get arrested if others thought you to have communist sympathies. This relates to the witch trials because little evidence could be provided.