The Proctors's fraught marriage complicates their lives considerably. It's not enough that they somehow have to live with the constant fear whipped up by the witch-hunting hysteria. They must also deal with problems on the home front. The direct cause of these problems is John's infidelity. John cheated on Elizabeth with Abigail Williams. When Elizabeth found out about the affair, she was suitably upset.

Although Elizabeth still loves John, she cannot completely trust him any longer. Inevitably this puts a considerable strain on their marriage. For his part, John's remorse over his infidelity leaves something to be desired. He seems to think that once he's confessed, that should be it; Elizabeth should forget about everything and move on as if nothing has happened.

But Elizabeth's not prepared to do that. She cannot and will not forget how John has betrayed her. At the same time, she still loves him enough to defend his reputation, even if it means committing perjury in open court.

As for John, his love for Elizabeth still remains despite everything he's put her through. He demonstrates his love for Elizabeth, not to mention extraordinary courage, by challenging the court in order to save his wife from the gallows. In presenting a deposition to the court that attests to her good character, John is showing how much Elizabeth means to him. As it turns out, Elizabeth would've been spared from the gallows on account of her pregnancy, but John wasn't to know that.

The strength of the Proctors's relationship can be seen in their final, touching reconciliation before John's execution, when they forgive each other and loudly proclaim the very special love they share.

John and Elizabeth Proctor have a strained marriage as a result of John's infidelity. In act two, John and Elizabeth are noticeably aloof and on edge. Elizabeth has not forgiven John for his past affair with Abigail Williams and is wary of him. Similarly, John resents the fact that Elizabeth remains cold towards him and tensions reach a fever pitch when Elizabeth discovers that John was alone with Abigail on the day he traveled to Salem.

Despite their strained relationship, John demonstrates his love for Elizabeth by challenging the corrupt court and attempting to save her life. Elizabeth also demonstrates her love and loyalty for John by lying on his behalf when Danforth questions her about John's affair with Abigail. Tragically, Elizabeth's attempt to save John's reputation dooms him, and he is immediately thrown in jail. In the final act of the play, John and Elizabeth forgive each other and overcome their differences as John wrestles with the decision to offer a false confession or become a martyr. Elizabeth not only apologizes for her callous attitude and unforgiving behavior but also supports any decision John makes. With his wife's full support, John becomes a martyr by tearing his confession in hopes of disbanding the corrupt court.

John and Elizabeth have a strained marital relationship as a result of John's affair with their servant, Abigail Williams, some seven months ago. Elizabeth suspected he was being unfaithful and, evidently, confronted him about it, and he confessed it to her; she immediately fired Abigail (this is what Abigail referred to in act 1 when she spoke alone with John). Now, we can see in act 2 that John and Elizabeth are trying to repair the broken trust, but it is not entirely smooth sailing. For example, John is apparently still not completely honest with his wife. When he told her of what Abigail said to him about the girls' activities in the woods being "only sport," he didn't mention that he was alone with Abigail at the time. Now, Elizabeth reproaches him for that omission, saying, "Why, then, it is not as you told me." He begins to get angry and defend himself, but, according to the stage direction, "she has suddenly lost all faith in him." John feels that Elizabeth continues to judge him, and he reprimands her saying, "Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not." She responds with one of the more famous lines from the play, as she says to John, "The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you." She claims that she is not still upset, though it seems clear that she does not wholly trust her husband any more, and John is tired of the whole situation. Unfortunately, it takes tragedy to bring them back together.

John and Elizabeth Proctor are husband and wife in The Crucible.  They are farmers on the outskirts of Salem, and they have three sons.  At the beginning of the novel, their relationship is strained because of John's affair with Abigail.  John says he is sorry to Elizabeth numerous times; however, Elizabeth is having a hard time forgiving him.  John calls her "cold" towards him.  It is normal that it would be hard to forgive your husband for cheating, and John needs to be more patient with Elizabeth.  When he comes home with news about witchcraft in Salem, and the main accuser is Abigail, Elizabeth gets worried that she will be named a witch.  Her fears come true, and she is arrested.  When brought before the judges to answer questions about the relationship between John and Abigail, Elizabeth lies and says that John has been faithful.  This goes against her values for she has never been known to lie.  John steps in and tells Elizabeth that he has (finally!) already confessed.  Both are arrested; Elizabeth to spend time in jail because she is pregnant, and John to be hanged if he denies God and doesn't sign a petition that states he is a witch.  At the end of the play, there is a touching scene where John and Elizabeth profess their love for each other with Elizabeth understanding why John cannot sign the petition.  John is hanged, and Elizabeth is later set free to live without John.

What's going on between Abigail and John Proctor?

This story is set in Salem, Massachusetts.  A group of girls have been accused of witchcraft. When the Reverend Parris questions his niece, Abigail Williams, about the accusation, Abigail tells him that the girls were just dancing in the woods. However, Betty, the Reverend's daughter and a participant in the dancing activities, appears to be in a comatose state. The Reverend demands to know if Abigail has been 'conjuring spirits,' but she vehemently denies it.

Eventually, Abigail is questioned by John Proctor about the witchcraft allegations. It is obvious that both Proctor and Abigail are sexually excited by each other. In fact, both Abigail and Proctor had an affair while she worked at the Proctor home the previous year. The affair was discovered by Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, who promptly fired Abigail for her treachery. Abigail propositions Proctor once more, but he refuses her advances. He tells Abigail that he cannot send for her anymore and that, basically, their sexual trysts are at an end. Abigail refuses to accept such an answer; she claims that Proctor has always 'sweated like a stallion' whenever she comes near to him, hinting that he has never overcome his sexual need for her.

Later in the play, Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, is called to the stand but refuses to provide testimony which would implicate her husband in the crime of adultery. Throughout the play, Proctor is shown to be a man who is torn between his lust for Abigail, his loyalty to his wife, and his conscience. Even though he does not continue his affair with Abigail after she leaves the Proctor home, he remains greatly affected by undercurrents of their former sexual and emotional connection.

What is the relationship of Elizabeth and John Proctor in the Crucible?

What is the relationship of Elizabeth and John Proctor in "The Crucible?"

The simple answer to the question is that they were husband and wife. But, as with all of literature, the answers are never that simple. Their relationship is much more complicated than that.

John Proctor is a simple farmer living in the town of Salem, MA. In spite of being a married man, John gives in to the sexual advances of Abigail, a seventeen year old girl who worked for the proctors as a servant. Because his conscience bothers him over the adulterous relationship he confesses this to his wife. In spite of this confession she has a very difficult time forgiving him, yet he still resists the continuing advances of Abigail.

Abigail, being rejected, decides to get revenge by starting the accusations of witchcraft which would snowball into what we know historically as the Salem Witch Trials.