The problem occurred when Abigail started as a housemaid for the proctor residence. Duties in the house became more ongoing and taxing as Proctors wife Elizabeth became ill. At this time Proctor was vulnerable as the relationship between Elizabeth and him self was obviously breaking down. Another pressure on Proctor was an increasing temptation towards Abigail. Effectively the consequence of this action turned in to an affair, which was classed as defiance to their substantial religious beliefs. Proctor came to realise that the affair, which was taking place, was immoral and there must be a stop to it. So he decision was to tell his wife whom she made Abigail leave the household.
I am going to discuss now in detail the conversation between Abigail Williams and John Proctor in act 1 and how this prepares the audience for the rest of the play.
The audience feels the tension, which has arisen between Abigail and Proctor following her admission to the fact that she was dancing in the woods. Proctor arrives in the town of Salem after hearing there has been dealings with the devil. Abigail is all most delighted to see the face of her ex lover which is immediately struck out to the audience as the first sentence she says is”gah-I’d almost forgotten how strong you are, John Proctor!”. Although there is a slight amount of temptation there, his response “what’s this mischief here” immediately changes the subject from the conversation depth going too far. Although Abigail is obviously distraught she still has the motivation to keep trying. Proctor immediately knew who was at the heart of this dire situation as it must have been an evil-minded person to create such a fuss. “ You’ll be clapped in the stocks before you’re twenty” makes the audience almost feel that the feeling towards Abigail has turned from lust to hate. Although Abigail has an ongoing desire for Proctor, and there is still an intention to be with him, Proctors thinks the affair is over as far as he’s concerned.
He treats Abigail as a child throughout this scene and there are referrals to her as ‘child’, to which she indignantly retorts ‘How do you call me child?’ Even his reply to her is like a father to a child when he says ‘I may think of you softly from time to time’ ‘Softly’ hardly being a word used from one lover to another. Abigail also accuses Proctor of being cold and distant towards her when she reminds him that she knows that he is ‘no wintry man’, yet again reminding him of their intimacy. She constantly reminds him of their past relationship and yet he replies that he ‘will cut of my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again’ He would much rather completely forget it ever happened and even tries denial when he says ‘Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby.’ This results in sparring between the two characters when she replies ‘Aye but we did’ and he attempts to deny it by ‘Aye but we did not’ At this point his guilt and denial are clear which is then made worse by the reference made by Abigail to his ‘.sickly wife’ Elizabeth.
This prepares us for conflict between Elizabeth and Abigail.
The mood of regret for his affair with Abby clearly hurts her deeply and her jealousy mounts for Elizabeth and the relationship between husband and wife. Abigail accuses Elizabeth of ‘blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman ,and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a –‘ Proctor angry asks ‘do you look for a whippin?’
Desperately Abigail asks “ I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge into my heart! I never knew what pretence Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of eyes? Will I not, I cannot you loved me, John Proctor, and what ever sin it is, you love me yet!” Abigail becomes so desperate for Proctors love she asks him to pity her but Proctor doesn’t acknowledge her. This prepares the audience in the play for revenge as she desperately longs for the love she once had with him, but now he considers it as non-existent. Although Abigail doesn’t like Elizabeth she understands the womanly intuition now that she places on Proctor. Proctor throughout this scene has weakened to an extent but yet the audience knows that Proctor will be back stronger than ever.
So the scene is set for the future of the play and the development of the relationships. Certainly there is jealousy on Abigail’s behalf, but also that of a wife whose husband has had an affair. From this we embark on the trail of jealousy between two women and a women scorned by her lover.
We also have the sexual tension between Proctor and Abigail. He wants to deny there was ever a relationship, mainly because of guilt, but also he clearly still has a very strong desire for her. Abigail still loves Proctor and almost uses blackmail tactics to make him acknowledge and continue their relationship.
Proctor is also very defensive towards his wife, which the audience is left to feel is mainly due to his guilt that he has been unfaithful.
Underpinning the whole story and surrounding the relationships is the developing story of witchery and suspicion in a small religious village called Salem.
