‘The Crucible’ Arthur Miller
What are the important points about this play?
- The historical setting: in that it reveals to us how people
lived at that time and also allows us an insight into the actual
‘trials’ for witchcraft.
- The political relevance: the McCarthy Communist-hunts of
1950s. Try to draw parallels – e.g. how the victims were FIRST made to confess and then forced to implicate others.
- The human interest through an analysis of the characters:
Abby – is she instinctively evil?
is she a witch?
Proctor - the solid Christian, not totally orthodox
but in the true sense of the word, a real
Christian, a ‘good’ man. His weaknesses
are important (adultery) allowing us to
sympathise with him
Danforth and
Hale-God substitutes on Earth?
etc.
- The psychology of ‘witchcraft’ or mass hysteria. How is it used in the play? It is produced by more than good acting, isn’t it? Betty’s coma so easily removed by Abby’s first
‘act’, Mary’s rejoining of the gang, the close mystical teamwork of the girls, etc.
Also the way Danforth regards it – strangely he is prepared to believe the Devil when He speaks through these girls. Abby is able to manipulate Danforth by being ‘possessed’.
Don’t expect to solve this question here: it is enough to put forward various views.
- The revelation of small-town jealousies, etc. Miller incorporates a very realistic background showing us some of the possible motives for implicating the victims.
- The details of the trials and torture – the absolute righteousness with which hitherto good Christians were condemned out of hand e.g. Giles’s ‘pressing’, Sarah Good reduced to madness, Rebecca Nurse’s harassment and torture, etc.
7.The idea of conscience – both Hale and even Parris ‘reform’
latterly.
- The language – see the introduction to the play. Usually
very simple and meant to capture a kind of rural dialect but allowing genuine speeches of emotion.
e.g. page 45
Proctor to Elizabeth
“…an everlasting funeral marches round your heart”.
p66 Proctor’s speech to Mary
“..we are only what we always were, but naked now.”
etc.
- The amazing power of the drama – think of how many
‘overloaded’ scenes there are: the visions; Proctor’s confession; the poppet, etc.
It’s not a thoughtful, philosophical play: it is vital, aggressive, moving, physical, violent, and so on. Sum up and analyse the violence.
Write full notes on each of the above giving clear illustration through quotes and page references.
Act 1
(An Overture)
After describing the room in the home of Parris, Miller
goes on to make the following points:
- Parris is a miserable, harsh man who thinks that everyone else should be as serious as he is. This extends even to young children, whom Parris does not understand at all.
- Salem had been in existence for only forty years. Life in the small town was hard and the strict religious code made it harder by forbidding any form of ‘vain enjoyment’ such as theatre, singing or dancing.
- People were expected to attend worship and there were special wardens appointed to take down the names of those who did not attend so that the magistrates could be informed.
- The land bordering Salem was largely unexplored and wild animals, along with marauding Indian tribes, posed a constant threat. This made many people conform to strict rules that they might otherwise have ignored.
- Many people had fled to America to escape religious persecution back in England and so the Puritan lifestyle was fiercely guarded.
- The town was governed through a combination of state and religious power, in the hope of keeping evil at bay. As the times became less dangerous, the need for strict rules lessened and people began to express an interest in greater personal freedom. The witch-hunt came about as people began to explore this freedom.
- The witch-hunt also gave people a chance to revenge themselves upon old enemies and to settle old scores to do with land ownership. Some people used it as a way to free their consciences from sins they had committed, by blaming things upon innocent victims.