Look at Abigail Williams relationship with John Proctor.

In act 2 we can see the effects that John and Abigail's affair has on Johns marriage to Elizabeth. It has been seven months since their affair, but their relationship is still strained and difficult. At the beginning of act 2 the conversation between John and Elizabeth is general, they talk about farming, there is nothing personal in the conversation. John is trying to win Elizabeth back, this can be seen when he compliments her on her cooking 'It's well seasoned' he compliments her even though it was him that put the salt in the stew to make it more to his liking. Throughout this scene John is trying to please Elizabeth, when John says, 'I mean to please you, Elizabeth.' he is trying to make it up to her after his affair with Abigail. Although John is trying to improve their relationship, and make Elizabeth forgive him, she just acts coldly towards him, as this stage direction indicates 'he gets up, goes to her, kisses her. She receives it. With a certain disappointment', Elizabeth makes no effort to kiss her husband back, this shows the lack of affection in the relationship, which is the effect the affair between John and Abigail. We see how distant the marriage really is when John says 'It's winter in here yet.' he says this after noticing there is no flowers in the house, but it is also symbolic of their marriage, as winter is cold and barren, like their relationship. There are pauses in the conversation between John and Elizabeth, this shows the strain and lack of closeness in the relationship, caused by the affair. The conversation soon changes to the accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Elizabeth wants John to tell the courts the truth about Abigail confessing to him that there was nothing improper going off in the woods. John gets angry towards Elizabeth this can be seen when he says 'I know I cannot keep it. I say I will think on it!' he gets angry towards her because he doesn't like being told what to do, and she is trying to control his actions. He tells Elizabeth he cannot tell the court because he has no proof as he and Abigail were alone. This stirs up real tension and anger and we can now see that there is no trust in the relationship as seen when Elizabeth says 'You were alone with her', 'Why, then is it not as you told me' she doesn't trust him because he keeps lying, and she thinks there may still be something going on between him and Abigail. From this John just gets angry with her 'I'll not have your suspicion any more' he is defensive like he still has feelings for Abigail. Elizabeth then accuses him of still having feelings for Abigail, 'If it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not' she is saying if it was anybody else he was going to tell the court the truth about he wouldn't hesitate to do so, because of Abigail Elizabeth is suspicious of her husbands actions. This makes John even more angry for questioning him, he has got old fashioned views, he believes a wife shouldn't challenge her husband. At the end of this act we see Abigail get her revenge. She has seen that Mary Warren the Proctors servant has got a poppet doll with a pin stuck in its stomach, so to get her revenge she stabs herself with a pin in the exact same spot. She does this to give the impression Elizabeth has done voodoo on her. The dramatic effect that her action has on the marriage of John and Elizabeth doesn't turn out the way Abigail had planned. Although her actions split them up physically as Elizabeth is arrested, it brings them together emotionally. John realises where his loyalties lie, and he trys to defend Elizabeth against the accusations.

In act three John forces his servant Mary Warren, to court to testify against Abigail. Danforth, the judge tells Mary if she is telling the truth she will be able to faint, like she did when the girls were found in the woods. Mary is unable to pretend to faint, this is because the power of autosuggestion. Because of this Danforth doesn't believe her, this leaves John with only one way of proving Abigail is a liar. In the court scene we also see the relationship triangle between John, Elizabeth, and Abigail. Abigail still loves John, and she feels if she can prove Elizabeth as been involved in witchcraft, she will be able to be with him. But John only feels love for Elizabeth, this can be seen when he makes his dramatic confession 'It's a whore' he hates Abigail for what's she's done, and he will do anything he can to prove her a liar. Through this revelation he brings shame on is name which is seen when judge Danforth says to John 'You -you a lecher?' Danforth and the rest of the court are astonished, they thought John was a good and loyal man, also in 1692 when the play in set committing adultery would be deeply frown upon, as the people were very religious and followed the teachings of God, including the ten commandments. John feels the court must believe his confessions 'I have made a bell of my honour! I have rung the doom of my good name' he feels the court must believe him because he has ruined his good name to prove Abigail is a liar. Danforth decides to bring Elizabeth into the court room for Questioning, before he does this he asks John if she is an honest woman, John replies 'In her life, sir, she have never lied' John has faith in his wife, because she is a good woman. Before Elizabeth comes into the court room John and Abigail are told to look at him, and not to turn around to Elizabeth 'now let neither of you turn to face goody Proctor' this is because Danforth doesn't want them giving Elizabeth any hints on what to say. When Danforth asks her why she 'dismissed her' she tries to 'glance' at John to see what he as already told the court. Elizabeth loves John so much that she is prepared to lie for him in court 'My husband is a goody man, sir' she lies because she wants to save him name from being ruined. Elizabeth is taken from court, and John tells her he confessed to everthing but it's too late. At the end of this scene John is accused of witchcraft, Abigail who loved John now turns on him, and she wants him punished for rejecting her.

Act four sees the marriage of John and Elizabeth being repaired, in a quiet and emotional scene. This scene is set in a prison cell, Elizabeth is sent to John to try to make him confess to witchcraft. At first John tells Elizabeth that he might confess evidence of this can be seen when he says to her 'I have been thinking I would confess to them, Elizabeth' here we see John willing to destroy his name in order to stay alive and be with his wife. Then we see Elizabeth and John make the biggest sacrifice of all, for each other. John is willing to destroy his name, and lie to the court to save himself. Elizabeth is willing to allow John to be hung to save his name, because she knows how much it means to him. In the end John desides that he doesn't want to be seen as a fraud and a liar, he will not confess to the court, this action leads to John being hung. In this scene the Proctors reconcile, they both recognise what they've done wrong, this can be seen when Elizabeth says 'no honest love could come to me! Suspicion kissed you whenever you did,' here Elizabeth is blaming herself for whats happened, she thinks that she should have loved and trusted John more.

Abigails affair with John strained his marriage with Elizabeth, and she made it difficult for them. The effect Abigail's actions have on the Proctors are, she brings them together again and makes them realise how much they mean to each other, despite Johns death. When the truth finally arises, that there was nothing going on in woods Abigail destroys herself and is forced to flee the village, with money stolen from Parris.