The opening of Act II reveals an external man vs. man
conflict between John and Elizabeth Proctor. Readers see it subtley with the stage
directions:
It is as though she would speak but
cannot. Instead, now, she takes up his plate and glass and fork and goes with them to
the basin. Her back is turned toward him. He turns to her and watches her. A sense of
their separation
rises.
Their
apparent and obvious reason for conflict is eventually revealed in a discussion about
the fact that John saw Abigail today and it makes Elizabeth judge
John:
PROCTOR: You will
not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on
Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to
judge your husband anymore. I have forgot Abigail
-
ELIZABETH: and
I.
PROCTOR: Spare me. You
forget nothin' and forgive nothin'. Learn charity,
woman.
Later, another
external man vs. man conflict occurs between Proctor and Mary Warren. Mary went to court
today and Proctor is concerned about the growing accusations that she is participating
in. In an effort to control the situation Proctor gets ready to whip her and Mary Warren
says:
I'll not
stand whipping any
more!
Moments later, Mary
Warren reveals an external conflict that Elizabeth may go through that would be a man
vs. society type of conflict. Elizabeth was accused in court, but Mary Warren tried to
protect her:
MARY WARREN: I
saved her life
today!
ELIZABETH: I am
accused?
Mary WARREN: Somewhat
mentioned. But I said I never see no sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one,
and seeing I do live so closely with you, they dismissed
it.
The story does not end
with dismissal. Elizabeth goes on to experience an internal conflict of doubt in the
next few pages curious about how Abigail may be making this happen. Elizabeth lets her
mind wander as far as even believing she might be hung.
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