Look closely at the meeting between John and Elizabeth Procter in prison In what ways does it show their relationship to have changed from earlier in the play?

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Look closely at the meeting between John and Elizabeth Procter in prison

In what ways does it show their relationship to have changed from earlier in the play?

How does Millar make this episode both moving and tragic?

In the Salem witch trials, in 1692, 119 people were accused of doing witchcraft. Similarly Arthur Millar was questioned by McCarthy in un-American Activities and was asked to betray his friends, he decided to write a play because he thought the events were similar. He wrote about the Salem trials to shed light on modern day. Millar chose the Salem trials because the McCarthyism was very much doing the same, accept more recent.

Millar focuses his play on two people, John and Elizabeth Procter. At the beginning of the play they are distant and un-romantic. However towards the end of the play they become deeply in love and they realise how much they love each other this is because they go to jail and John feels guilty that his wife has been imprisoned when he had committed adultery.

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John Procter tries to be nice to Elizabeth as he feels guilty for betraying her ands committing adultery with Abigail ‘(with a grin) I mean to please you Elizabeth’ he is trying to make up for his sins. ‘(it is hard to say): I know it John’ this tells us that she still has doubts as to whether she fully forgives him for what he has done, however she doesn’t want to cause an argument because she loves him. All of the things she says are short and direct, she is making him work hard for his forgiveness, she knows ...

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