Act+II


 * 1) When Ezekiel Cheever arrives to at the Proctor residence, John Proctor attempts to reason with her jailors but is unable to phase Cheever’s allegiance to the corrupt court authority that ordered him to carry out the arrest. In his argument, he points out that no one has changed or done anything outside of routine that wasn’t done prior to the beginning of the witch trials. The only difference between back then and their present state is that now Abigail and the girls randomly accuse their fellow townspeople for crimes they didn’t do. Anyone they accuse in court is either jailed or killed with no way of avoiding it, and Abigail takes advantage of this and accuses Elizabeth in an effort to keep Proctor for herself, which is what he refers to when he says,”…common vengeance writes the law!” Even though Proctor clearly explains why the arrest is unjustified, Cheever mindlessly proceeds to detain Elizabeth as the court orders him to.
 * 2) Proctor and Elizabeth share a rocky relationship together as a result of the adultery John was involved in with their servant, Abigail. Elizabeth still suspects Proctor of betrayal and refuses to open up and forgive him entirely, and Proctor senses the coldness emitted by Elizabeth and says “It is wintry in here yet.” It seems like he’s always wanting to atone to the harm that he caused his wife, and she’s scared to get close to him because she doesn’t want to get hurt again. When Cheever and his posse arrive to arrest Elizabeth, the ambiance suddenly changes because Proctor’s hidden passion for her surges and lashes out as anger towards all those who threaten their marriage. Elizabeth also does away with her withdrawal and unites with her husband as they stand against the court’s authority in order to defend their lives. Unfortunately, in order to reach this unity in their marriage once again, they had to pass through trying circumstances like the ones that present themselves with Elizabeth’s arrest.
 * 3) Reverend Hale’s confidence in the existence of witches slowly deteriorates as Proctor makes him aware of the possible fraud that might be coming from the children. Even though Hale played a key part in the commencement of the witch trials, he comes to realize that he might have condemned several innocent people to death. In his mind, religion urges him to believe the evil presence that manifests itself through the girls, but reason suggests that the girls that are supposedly affected by these spirits might be faking the entire thing; after all, they aren’t the most sincere people and have acted questionably. Hale has to choose between these two possibilities, and both of the motives that would lead him to believe in either are about equal significance in his way of thinking. As the time of decision draws near, Hale grows more unsure or the alleged presence of witches, and fortunately, he’s arriving to the truth of the situation.
 * 4) Ezekiel Cheever’s actions and personality accurately demonstrate the manner in which most American citizens operate within their government. His entire role in the story consists of obeying the laws others set for him without understanding or discerning the reasons why he has to abide by them. Even at Proctor’s house, he remains adamant in his duty to the law, even after Proctor clearly explains why the law is mistaken when he comes to arrest Elizabeth. In the same respect, the average citizen today doesn’t consider whether the government policies that dictate their lives are reasonable or not, and yet he or she continues to follow the rules that remain unchallenged. As a result of this mechanical attitude, the government has been able to take advantage of the ignorance and enact unjust regulations that should have never been passed in the first place. If these individuals would just question the authorities that have power over them, they would become aware of the grievances caused to society by its governing superiors.