How do the few pages immediately prior to Hale's entrance in Act II deepen our understanding of Elizabeth and Abigail?

These few pages really allow the audience to see how much more Elizabeth seems to understand Abigail than John does.  After Elizabeth learns that her name has been "mentioned" in court, she says, "Oh, the noose, the noose is up!"  She insists that Abigail wants her dead, though John half-heartedly denies it.  Elizabeth had been immediately certain of Abigail's plan: to get rid of her by accusing her of witchcraft so that Abigail can be...

These few pages really allow the audience to see how much more Elizabeth seems to understand Abigail than John does.  After Elizabeth learns that her name has been "mentioned" in court, she says, "Oh, the noose, the noose is up!"  She insists that Abigail wants her dead, though John half-heartedly denies it.  Elizabeth had been immediately certain of Abigail's plan: to get rid of her by accusing her of witchcraft so that Abigail can be with John.  She says, "I knew all week it would come to this!" 

Further, Elizabeth understands more about how a young woman's mind works.  She tells John, "You have a faulty understanding of young girls.  There is a promise made in any bed [....] She thinks to take my place, John."  Elizabeth knows that Abigail loves her husband, and she knows that Abigail believes that Elizabeth is all that stands in the way of her being with John, but John doesn't understand this.  Abigail believes that he loves her.

Worse yet is that Elizabeth understands that John does still have feelings for Abigail.  She points out that he has never treated Abigail with contempt and blushes whenever he sees her in church; such a blush is easily interpreted by both women as evidence of his continued feelings.  Moreover, she says, "[Abigail] has an arrow in you yet, John Proctor, and you know it well!"  Abigail knows just how to manipulate people in order to remove the obstacle Elizabeth presents, and Elizabeth understands exactly why and how Abigail will attempt to remove her.  Ironically, it is as though the two women have a better understanding of one another than John has of either of them.