What does Elizabeth want John to do in town? What will everyone find out if he does this?

Many readers have the aforementioned question about  Act 2 of The Crucible: why does Elizabeth desire John to go to Salem? This article provides both short and long answers to this question. Information technology should help you to empathise the reasoning behind her request, why it changes slightly over the grade of the act, and how it connects to the lingering tension in their union.

Why Is This Question Tricky?

This question addresses an important but somewhat confusing aspect of the plot in Act 2. John and Elizabeth Proctor accept several one-on-ane conversations in this human action that introduce the audience to the bug in their marriage that have arisen as a issue of John'southward affair. Elizabeth asks John to go to Salem twice, changing her asking slightly when she learns additional information almost the court proceedings from Mary. Her first request is driven past an urgent concern for the others who accept been defendant, but her 2nd request is an even more dire plea as she realizes that she herself is in danger from the trials. We'll look at what the different requests are and why Elizabeths makes them from both a practical and psychological standpoint.

Short Answer

Elizabeth initially wants John to go to Salem so he can testify that Abigail told him Betty'due south illness had cypher to practice with witchcraft. When Elizabeth finds out from Mary that she was accused in court, still, she decides she wants John to speak with Abigail directly. She says he must tell Abigail that they will never enter into a romatic relationship again. Elizabeth hopes this will dissuade Abigail from making boosted false accusations designed to remove her from the picture.

Elizabeth'south hope is that John will be willing to set the record direct, kickoff on an official level and then on a personal level. This is the but way he tin show his loyalty to her over Abigail. As she says, "I will exist your only wife, or no wife at all!" (pg. 59) For Elizabeth, this is near more merely protecting herself from accusations. Information technology symbolizes John's renewed commitment to their marriage and the final nail in the coffin for his infatuation with Abigail.

Long Respond

Elizabeth Proctor first urges John Proctor to go to Salem so he tin can testify that Abigail and the other girls are frauds.John knows this to be a fact because when he and Abigail spoke alone in Act 1, Abigail scoffed at the proposition that Betty's affliction had anything to do with witchcraft.

Here's the exact exchange betwixt John and Abigail (on folio twenty):

PROCTOR: The road past my business firm is a pilgrimage to Salem all morning. The town's mumbling witchcraft.

ABIGAIL: Oh, posh! Nosotros were dancin' in the woods terminal night, and my uncle leaped in on us. She took fear, is all.

John is hesitant to go into town and produce this evidence because he'due south non sure he will exist believed. It's his word against Abigail's. He says, "If the daughter's a saint now, I think it is non so easy to prove she's fraud, and the town gone and so empty-headed. She told it to me in a room alone - I have no proof for it" (pg. 51).

Elizabeth is frustrated because she believes that some of his reluctance really stems from the fact that he notwithstanding has feelings for Abigail. She says, "John, if information technology were not Abigail that you must get to injure, would y'all falter now? I call up non" (pg. 52).Her trust in him is shaken past the fact that he spoke with Abigail alone, a item that he kept to himself until now. Elizabeth needs John to requite his testimony discrediting Abigail to prove that he has moved on from her and his loyalties aren't divided (and because it'southward the honest matter to do).

After Mary Warren reveals that Elizabeth was defendant briefly during that day'south trial, Elizabeth's asking regarding John'due south visit to Salem changes.She sees that the situation is more dire than they originally thought; her life may really be in danger because of Abigail'due south vendetta against her.She now wants John to go to Salem and so he can speak with Abigail and tell her that the two of them will never end up together under whatsoever circumstances.She knows that Abigail wants her out of the flick so that she can have her place as John's wife. If Abigail hears directly from John that this will never happen, she might exist persuaded to give up her deception. Elizabeth urges, "Whatsoever promise she may sense - break it, John, pause it" (pg. 59).

She understands that the hysteria surrounding the trials has grown to a point where addressing the root of the problem (Abigail) may be more than effective than attempting to convince the court officials that the girls are lying. Also, if John speaks to Abigail himself, Abigail won't exist able to fault his intentions in the time to come. If he's willing to do this, it volition prove to Elizabeth that he actually is washed with the affair psychologically besides as physically.

The psychological wounds of John'due south affair run deeper than his romatically obtuse brain tin can comprehend.

Summary: Why Does Elizabeth Want John to Go to Salem?

Ok, allow'due south recap the reply to this question with some snappy bullet points:

• Elizabeth originally wants John to become to Salem so he can tell the courtroom that he knows the girls are lying.
• Then, when she finds out she was accused in court, she wants him to go to Salem to speak direct with Abigail.
• Elizabeth makes these requests with an eye towards correcting injustice and saving her own life.
• However, she also has a more than emotional motive, which is to force John to bear witness his loyalty to her and fully renounce his connexion to Abigail.

What's Next?

Desire more details about what exactly happens in Act 2 of The Crucible? Check out our full summary of Act 2, including fundamental quotes and thematic analysis.

We've as well written in-depth analyses that focus on the chief characters of the play. Read a consummate breakup of John Proctor's relationships, motivations, and personality traits.

Looking for some good quotes to include in your essay for English grade? We accept a full list of the most important quotes in The Crucible along with explanations of their thematic relevance.

Desire to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your Deed score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test well-nigh the peak v strategies you lot must exist using to accept a shot at improving your score. Download it for gratis at present:

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Nearly the Author

Samantha is a web log content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to assist students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate nearly art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth Higher as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high schoolhouse, she earned a 2400 on the Sabbatum, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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