How was Elizabeth treated in The Crucible?

It is understood that Elizabeth suffers a fairly raw deal
in the drama.  She has to see her husband, her child's father, punished for telling the
truth, and her desire to protect help in lying for him actually does him more harm than
good.  She has to also endure that the initial force of the accusations against her are
motivated not by an innocent, doe eyed girl, but a vengeful young woman who covets her
husband.  All of this would indicate harsh treatment.  However, Elizabeth undergoes a
transformation that allows her to embrace the values of loyalty and companionship that
transcends these contingencies.  While she pleads with John to sign the confession,
Elizabeth is also made aware that there are critical moments that serve to define one's
state of being in the world.  These moments cannot be dismissed, for in doing, one
dismisses their chance to be better than they could have ever hoped to be.  When she
understands her husband's decision and supports him to his very death, it is a moment
where Elizabeth transcends the temporary and moves into a realm of permanence where real
values are endorsed in a setting that embraces inauthenticity.  It is here where
Elizabeth's treatment allows her to become something more than anyone else in the play
could hope to be.