Elizabeth Proctor is a mother of two and husband to John Proctor. She is shown as being a proud, stubborn woman with a vindictive streak - this is shown in her reaction to the affair between her husband and their previous house servant, Abigail. She refuses to forgive John, despite his efforts and has trouble letting go of her anger. Other than this, Elizabeth is quite a stand-up woman - sinning only once towards the end when asked about her husband's affair. In fact, at the end she comes to blame herself for the affair and forgives John just before his death.
The audience is first made aware of her during Act One, in the dialogue between John and Abigail in which she wishes to continue their affair and he discourages her. She calls Elizabeth a, “sickly wife,” and goes on to claim that she had been, “blackening my name in the village!” …show more content…
She acts cold towards John, a coldness that grows when she realises that he had seen Abigail alone and he’d lied about it. John snaps, claiming that after everything he’d done to try and earn forgiveness for what he’d done, she’d refused - “I have not moved from here to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart.” However, before their conflict is resolved, they are interrupted with the news that Abigail spoke her name in the court and she must be taken in for trial. Elizabeth is convinced that Abigail wishes to kill her and take her place - “She wants me dead, John, you know it!” Although this shakes her, when the officials come to take her, she stands proud and unafraid of the fate that awaits