Question

Explain what is meant by the stage direction in line 493 that proctor is another man

Answer 1

This is the first time we see John Proctor in Act IV, and also the first time we see him since he was made prisioner at the end of Act III. Whereas before he was a prosperous farmer, now he bears on his face and his body the rigors of prison: he looks "bearded, filthy, his eyes misty as though webs had overgrown them". He tells Elizabeth that he has been tortured, and he has also suffered for her (she is pregnant). We will soon see that the change is not only external; he has aquired a newfound resolve that will lead him to reject the possibility of saving himself by lying.