Both John and Elizabeth have their strengths and their weaknesses. John acknowledges that what he did (the affair) was wrong, is sorry, and has tried to amend the situation, he has tried to make it up to Elizabeth. His weakness was having the affair in the first place. Elizabeth on the other hand, her weaknesses are not being "womanly" enough for John; being cold towards him; still hounding and persecuting him about it; and not being able to forgive him even though he had repeatedly apologised to her. On p45, Proctor goes on to say, to Elizabeth, "You forget nothin' and forgive nothin'". John had really tried to appease Elizabeth, he'd "tiptoed" around the house ever since Abigail left. "He didn't move from one place to another without thinking how to please her" and still she couldn't let go.
             John compared his marriage to a court, there is a sort of trial going on in their marriage. You can compare their marriage to a real courtroom. John, the accused, has been found guilty of adultery. He broke the law; one of the 10 commandments (The Puritans obeyed the 10 commandments like they were the -very strict- law). Elizabeth was the prosecutor. Although John had confessed his guilt and said his apologises, he was still under trial. Elizabeth, the persecutor, would use any chance she got to fire at him and remind him of his flaw. "You were alone with her?!". Even though John had already confessed, she was still suspicious of him. He was sick and tired of the battering the persecutor was doing, "(his anger rising) For a moment I say". His defence was the fact that he felt he had to look somewhere else for the love he wasn't receiving at home.
             Elizabeth was a very "shy" woman. When on p42, John "gets up, goes to her, kisses her" she receives it. She doesn't respond to her
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