Much more tension is show when Elizabeth mentions ‘its cold in here’ which may be a metaphor for the coldness in the heart of Elizabeth. Flowers may show readers the meaning of intimacy, but miller tries to emphasise that he wants colour and warmth in his home. I think Miller means us to realise that there is no love between john and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth does not accuse john of still lusting after Abigail. Although she guesses that he is thinking of her. Millers stage directions are clear “she is watching him from the table……” it is as though she can speak but cannot. A sense of separation arises, is now shown. I feel that this is because Elizabeth doesn’t want to show that she is jealous or holding a grudge against john.
In page 43 Miller uses stage directions again to show friction when john says “I have no business in Salem…..” giving us the message that he does not want anything to do with Abigail, surprisingly. John shows some sensitivity to ease the mood, when he asks Elizabeth if she is sad. Miller cleverly shows Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s continuing mistrust of both john and Abigail. Elizabeth and john show us that they are appearing both worried about events in Salem, but for different reasons.
More conflict grows when miller allows john to become angry and find fault in Elizabeth. The tension is page 43 seems to calm down abit when Elizabeth and john discuss the fact that they are 14 people in jail awaiting trial. Also, that the governor says that these people will hang if they don’t confess. Elizabeth and john begin to discuss Abigail’s power in the court. Elizabeth the suggests to john that he must go to Salem and expose Abigail as a fraud. She says john should reveal what Abigail told him about ‘dancing in the wood’.
Conflict is shown greatly in page 44 when Elizabeth catches john out with the lie, as john reveals that he had a meeting with Abigail in a room on their own.
Accusation, denial and suspicion arise as john tries to cover it up by saying they were alone for a moment, Elizabeth lost all faith in him, and Miller is showing us that they do not have trust in each other any longer.
In page 44/45 we can see an increasing show of tension between the couple. Elizabeth is asking/searching for questions. She is not afraid to ask john difficult questions. Miller uses dramatic irony once again as the audience knows why john is hesitating to answer.
The language used in this section of scene 2 cleverly hints at the court scene to come. It seems as though john’s private life will be mirrored in the next act.
Page 46 shows that 39 are now up for trial, some clearly innocent. John loses his temper with Mary Warren who has returned from court. As we know Mary warren gives a puppet/doll to Elizabeth. The audience suspect the doll will somehow implicate things for Elizabeth in tee arrests. Tension is created because we sense that if Elizabeth is arrested the pressure will be enormous on john to tell the truth to save her.
Miller shows a different feeling in age 50 as Mary warren tells Elizabeth and john that Elizabeth has been mention in court, Elizabeth tells john she thinks Abigail wants her dead, she speaks with increasing sarcasm as I think Elizabeth is still jealous of john and Abigail. John agrees to go to Salem.
The tension then increases when john is naïve to think than Abigail would be so manipulative, he is shocked and starts to realise what Abigail has done, to his marriage. End of page 51 and Miller shows us john and Elizabeth are becoming increasingly angry with each other.
In page 52 tension lowers be an unofficial visit by reverend Hale he is seen as possible help. Hale gets john to say the 10 commandments, tension quickly arises again when john couldn’t say ‘adultery’ but Elizabeth prompts him. News arises as Mary warren is arrested and was accused by Abigail. Elizabeth accuses Abigail of planting the puppet with the needle in; Miller had used dramatic irony once again.
Miller introduces a new character – Ezekiel Cheaver “a shocked silence”. There is a great deal of dramatic irony in pages 60/61 as we know that Abigail was the one that planted the doll…..
In conclusion there is much more tension that increasingly arises and Miller has used many techniques cleverly to show this. Many uses of dramatic irony is shown to show conflict and tension between both husband and wife john and Elizabeth proctor, and this as shown readers the full impact of the relationship between all characters including Abigail. I think miller has used Abigail’s character as the ‘evil villain’ maybe to show the tension between john and Elizabeth and to conclude on the marriage and how john committed adultery towards Elizabeth.
