The Shift of Power in Oleanna

In act 1, John’s main conflict is dealing with his lust for Abigail, even though their affair has ended, he still every so often does think of her. “Proctor: Abby, I may think of you softly from time

he is exercising his ability to gain the favor of the people, by using his powerful persistence and persuasion. One of John’s main interactions with another character is with Abigail. When Abigail was a maid of the Procter family, she and John had an affair. They fired her when his wife Elizabeth found out about the affair. At the beginning of the book, John acts as if he is still in love with Abigail. But as the story unfolds, and Abigail’s true nature is exposed, he grows more and more impervious to her wicked intentions and manipulations. So much so that he

John Proctor has a dark secret, He possesses a major flaw he has had an affair with Abigail Williams, and eventually he realizes what he has done to Elizabeth, He has committed adultery against his wife. Due to the fact that Proctor has committed adultery against Elizabeth, he becomes a tragic hero, and Abigail Williams shows that when she says “I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near” (Act I, lines 423-425). John broke his marriage vows, but even though he regrets he has become a tragic hero. It’s too late to regret he has sinned, he has ruined his marriage with Elizabeth and now she is not pleased with him. Due to the fact that he has cheated on Elizabeth, his outlook in life is negative, when He tells her “I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you” (Act II, lines 159-161). The affair also caused Elizabeth to distrust John, who for seven months was trying to get into her good graces and is tired of her suspicion. Because of John's inability to control his desire and resist temptation, his life is being turned upside down by the jealousy and need for revenge of Abigail, marking the beginning of his downfall and path to becoming a tragic hero. As a result, the need for revenge of Abigail marks the beginning of John downfall.

Elizabeth and Johns relationship is certainly not an easy one. Although having been married with two children the intrusion of Abigail could not have come at a worse time. With Elizabeth ill and Abigail’s personality being such a contrast John felt it as an escape from his wife’s absence. The affair that John had with Abigail puts a strain on their relationship creating a physical and emotional divide that the audience easily pick up on. On top of the affair, living in a puritan society which can be demeaning to women makes the

​In act I, John has shown his sinful past with Abigail and his hatred towards authority. John and Abby talk for a bit about his past with her and John shows mixed emotions but overall wants to forget about her. “Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut of my hand before I reach for

In all four acts of the play, the false notion lead intertwined into each other, bringing innocent people down with them, including John himself. John had confessed to his prior sins with Abigail and told Elizabeth to tell the truth to the court, she didn’t realize that he had already admitted to his affair with Abigail. Elizabeth defends John in court by lying to save her and her family’s name. Elizabeth meant well, did she not? This is the common flaw in us all, we try to do good to protect our names to such an extent that it in the end, some lives have been taken for the sake of your good name in the village.

In Conclusion, the audince feels tension and conflict between John and Elizabeth in act two through Miller's use of scenes of frigidity, lack of natural affection, constant use of questions and short replies,Elizabeth's suspicion and distrust of John and their constant judgement of each other . This scene plays an important role to the events that were building up in Salem, as the conflict in their household can almost represent the hysteria that was building up in Salem at that time with constant suspicions, distrusts and

When the play sets in action, John has had a past affair with his servant, Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor, is very forgiving of his sin, but John has his mind set that he will not confess to anyone else, in fear of ruining his good

However Abigail takes pride in her hysteria. This highlights the fact that the age difference between these 2 women is phenomenal. “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” Elizabeth is much more composed than Abigail, even though she is losing her husband she is happy for him, as she believes he is now at peace. Throughout the play John struggles with his feelings that he was not a good man. Hale tried his best to save John from being hanged to death but Elizabeth believes that he is finally going to be cleansed of his sins, as he has finally come out the dark about his affair. She loves him so much that she is willing to let him go. She feels that he is doing the right thing. She takes the name of God to justify herself.

In the beginning of the play it is believed that Elizabeth's husband John Proctor had an affair with Reverend Parris' niece and worker months before. This quote from John in the second act about Elizabeth shows remorse, “I have not moved from there to there without I think please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart,” and Elizabeth responds with starting a fight which she shows guilt for during and after. During act four when John had admitted to the affair with Abigail Williams, he stands in court with Elizabeth telling the judges lies about the affair and speaks to John, “I have read my heart this three month, John. (pause) I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.” This quote shows that since their fight in the beginning of act two, and even before the play she had forgiven John for adultery against

The character is John Proctor, John is a local farmer who lives just outside of the village. In the begin John confronts Abigail about the situation between all the witchcraft talk in Salem. Abigail had mentions about how John was having an affair on his wife Elizabeth Proctor with Abigail. As a man John is he declines everything Abigail had said. On page 32 Proctor and Abigail are having a conversion and this is when brings up when her and John had touched and h had replied by saying” Aye, we did not.” Later on in the play in Act 4 Elizabeth is being asked questions about John in the court. They had asked her that if John had ever been dishonest or lost interest in her whatsoever. Therefore Elizabeth had answered the question and she hdad said “My husband-is a goodly man, sir.” on page 87 in act 3. Furthermore, when the conversation was over John had told Elizabeth when they were taking her away that he had confessed and it is okay to talk about his sins and how he had turn on Elizabeth. Which really shows how John really had enough time to change and point out his bad actions. Some might argue about how he did not really changed that much, as well as he had to confess to protect Elizabeth. But John did not ever fixs her actions before hand so he really did change or switch throughout the

Miller uses dramatic irony here, as we as an audience are actively aware that although Abigail believes John still loves her, this is in fact untrue. The use of this irony aids our understanding in the core purpose of Abigail’s deceit and malicious lies, which is to get Elizabeth charged with witchcraft, so that she can rekindle her passion and lust with Proctor. It also progresses the story line, as fundamentally brings the audience and the characters towards the witch trials. Dramatic irony in this situation is successful, as it broadens our realisation that sex plays a huge role in the plot, as ultimately its Abigail’s desire for it, and inability to show it, that prompts her to turn to spiteful dishonesty, and cunning deception. Moreover, we see John assert his authority, through putting Abigail down, instructing her that he will no longer be visiting her. Miller presents John as dominant, especially over Abigail, as she is presented as an unruly, strong-willed, wayward teenager who relishes, and revels in defying custom/tradition, and who needs straightening out.

In The Crucible, Arthur Miller employs many rhetorical and poetic elements to depict the changing nature of relationships between the play’s characters. One of the most rhetorically dynamic relationships portrayed in the play is the marriage between the protagonist John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth. Miller skillfully uses Elizabeth and John’s language and the overall tone of their marriage to manifest John’s complex character development throughout the play. The marriage evolves from a relationship of hostility and tension to sacrifice and selflessness as John becomes a man of integrity. While John is overall more of a dynamic character than his wife, Elizabeth does not remain static for the entirety of the play; she demonstrates a slight character change in the final act that is, in a sense, opposite from her husband’s. The changes in the language of Elizabeth and John throughout the play result from the gradual breakdown and final anagnorisis of John’s character as he learns the value of the truth and becomes willing to shed his formerly coveted dignity for Elizabeth’s honor. This evolution of communication and character between the Proctors allows for mutual forgiveness and the final reconciliation of their marriage before John dies as a martyr.

Before and throughout the play, the affair between Abigail and John Proctor has a big impact on the how the play shapes out to be, and in the dialogues between John and Abigail, Abigail can be found acting like a crucible. After the girls, Putnam’s, and Parris leave John arrives, he comes to see what all the witchcraft talk is about and to see where Mary Warren is because she is left the house without John’s permission. What he doesn’t know is Abigail is there and she thinks he has come to see her because she thinks he likes her. Abigail to John softening, “And you must. You are no wintry man. I know you John. I know you.” John, pressing her from her, with great sympathy but firmly. “Child-” Abigail in anger now, “How do you

His sin is the affair he had with Abigail when she was working for him as a maid.  It becomes evident in the first act of the play that when Abigail and John speak he committed adultery.  Abigail says “I know you clutched my back behind your house”(22).   This sin weighs very heavily on his conscience and causes problems between him and Elizabeth, his wife.  At the beginning of Act 2 conversation between the two of them is very strained but eventually leads to the heart of the matter and it comes out that Elizabeth is suspicious of him and Abigail.  This flaw also leads to his demise when he goes to the court to save his wife and the other people who were to be hanged.  He planned to prove that the court was a farce and that the girls were pretending to see spirits, but was unable to and ended up calling Abigail a whore and admitting to lechery.  Elizabeth, who he says never lies, is brought in to prove whether or not this is true.  In order to save her husband she lies and does not say that they had an affair.  Mary Warren then turns on John and says that he is  “the devil’s man”(118) which the court accepts as fact, deeming him a warlock and sending him to jail.