Desire Under the Elms contains many moments of foreshadowing, building tension throughout the play as it builds up to a violent conclusion. For instance, there is clear foreshadowing pointing to Eben and Abbie’s eventual affair. When Eben and Abbie first meet, Eben immediately hates her for stealing his mother's place and claiming to own the farm, although their mutual attraction is evident. This is an instance of foreshadowing. When joking about Eben’s sexual relationship with Minne in Part 1, Simeon and Peter joke that Eben will try to get with Abbie, too:
Simeon—Mebbe ye’ll try t’ make her your’n too?
Peter—Ha! (He gives a sardonic laugh of relish at this idea.)
Eben—(spitting with disgust) Her—here—sleepin’ with him—stealin’ my Maw’s farm! I’d soon pet a skunk ‘r kiss a snake! (He goes out. The two stare after him suspiciously).
This moment clearly foreshadows that Eben will, in fact, “try t’ make her” his (both sexually, as they joke about Minnie, and romantically). This accusation makes Eben spit with disgust, saying he’d rather “kiss a snake” than be with Abbie: a vehement emotional reaction. This extreme language immediately foreshadows that Eben may, in fact, kiss Abbie. Furthermore, Simeon and Peter notice this as well, as they are suspicious of his angry reaction. This foreshadowing is significant because it creates tension in the play and illustrates how Eben and Abbie are both driven by their strong emotions.
Throughout the play, some moments foreshadow Eben and Cabot’s dysfunctional and violent relationship. While they both vehemently claim to despise each other, they have many similarities, including their ambitions for the farm and their stubbornness. These similarities push them into conflict, leading to the play’s ultimately tragic ending. This is foreshadowed early in the play when Simeon makes a harsh comment to Cabot about Eben:
Eben’s a chip o’ yew—spit ’n’ image—hard ’n’ bitter’s a hickory tree! Dog’ll eat dog. He’ll eat ye yet, old man!
Simeon makes this comment after Cabot ridicules Simeon and Peter for not working when he returns home with Abbie for the first time. His first response when seeing them is to order them to work, but Simeon and Peter have already decided to leave for California. Cabot claims that Eben is a “fool” like his Maw, but Simeon harshly retorts that Eben is more similar to Cabot than he thinks, and that “he’ll eat ye yet, old man!” Cabot refuses to believe Simeon’s prodding jab, but it rings clear for the audience as foreshadowing: Eben will get back at Cabot. The wording of Simeon’s proclamation has a prophetic connotation: “he’ll eat ye yet”: a direct and certain claim about future events. Simeon’s prediction comes true—Eben does harm Cabot by having an affair and a baby with Abbie.
Beyond the direct foreshadowing, this line also foreshadows the play’s over-arching themes and mood. Foreshadowing contributes to the mood by creating tension and ultimately a resigned and depressed mood. For all their claims of being different from each other, Eben and Cabot have many similarities that lead them to their downfall and personal failures. Most notably, they both vie for the farm above all else and allow their emotions to irrationally drive their behavior. Therefore, Simeon’s statement that “Eben’s a chip o’yew” proves accurate. The use of foreshadowing adds to O’Neill’s thematic exploration of how the characters’ desires, passion, and anger lead to their extreme actions.
