John and Elizabeth's past has been a troubled one as a result of his brief, adulterous affair with his maidservant Abigail Williams. In this scene the figures of authority, fronted by Danforth, have pleaded with Elizabeth to try to convince John to 'confess' in order to spare his life for reasons that are generated by their own selfish fears with regard to the safety of the convictions. His only possible life saving choice is to 'confess' to the false charges, have his land and farm confiscated, lose his good name and sense of honour and remain in jail.
Elizabeth's pregnancy is, at present, sparing her from the possibility of hanging but her husband, John Proctor, in his vain attempts to protect his wife has inadvertently caused his own downfall and he faces the noose if he will not confess to the charges of witchcraft. Both Elizabeth and John Proctor have been imprisoned on false charges of witchcraft. This scene is taken from Act Four, the final act of the play and the tragic plot is drawing to an end.
I am using the Heinemann edition of the text and I will be discussing how I would play the part of Elizabeth Proctor in the given scene. GCSE Drama Mock Examination - The Crucible - sample essay on playing Elizabeth Proctor
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