"The Crucible yields a number of scenes which are prime examples of Arthur Millers powerful talent as a dramatic writer" . Discuss this statement in respect of 2 or 3 key scenes in "The Crucible".

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"The Crucible yields a number of scenes which are prime examples of Arthur Millers powerful talent as a dramatic writer" . Discuss this statement in respect of 2 or 3 key scenes in "The Crucible".

 

The crucible provides us with an example of a masterpiece of dramatic writing. In this play Arthur Miller gives us a stimulating example of the use of a variety of theatrical techniques. His most powerful scenes in "The Crucible" have common characteristics: very effective use of stage actions, long build-ups of suspense that come crashing down in thundering climaxes, intense displays of emotion and an abundance of dramatic irony. These are my three chosen scenes: p46-50:"Tituba........Devil!", p98-100:"She thinks.......Oh God" and p101-105:"You will.....Mr Hale!". Because of the importance of these scenes as key moments in the play Miller makes them dramatically superb so that the "No,sir" by Elizabeth that decides the outcome of dozens of lives and of her own and her husband’s, John Proctor is also the climax of the most effective build-up of suspense in the play. The effectivness of these scenes is also enhanced by powerful characters such as John Proctor and Danforth who display such intensity in their emotions and actions that the audience can not help but be moved. But most of all, these scenes show Miller’s theatrical qualities so that by the end of each of these scenes we not only understand his message but also find ourself convinced by his arguments .

The dramatic impact of a play is enhanced when the audience understands all the different aspects of the main characters. It helps them become more involved and at the same time gives the author the chance to display some dramatic irony. Miller uses stage actions to that end in the first chosen scene of "The Crucible". In this scene Tituba’s inner conflict and Hale’s resolution is clearly expressed through the stage actions. Tituba first denies having seen the Devil but under Hale’s harsh questions she "falls to her knees" and "weeps" and is pushed to admit to it, she breaks as is shown in the stage actions: "She is rocking on her knees, sobbing in terror". When she starts to weaken, much to the dismay of the audience and starts to ‘play Hale’s game’ the stage actions change accordingly to Tituba "suddenly bursting out" and in a "furry". We know Tituba to be a good person, eager to save herself yet hesitant to denounce any people that she might have seen with the Devil as she knows it would probably cause their death.

Hale comes across as a man proud to be a minister; he "rises with exaltation" when speaking to Tituba and takes pity on her as is shown by the stage actions when he takes her hand which causes Tituba to relax , yet at the same time he is very "resolute". We see Parris as the sort of person who will do anything to advance in society and clear his name after Hale says: "It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister?". The false screaming of the girls is also apparent through the stage actions so that we understand the hypocritical side of their personnality: "staring as though inspired..... She is enraptured, as though in pearly light". The "though" clearly shows that they are merely acting. We also understand Betty’s coma was acting because she calls out "hysterically and with great relief" which marks her "relief" at finally being able to blame her false condition on somebody else and stop pretending to be asleep because of her fear of punishment. The power of the last part of the scene is marked by the curtain begining to fall just before the end and by the shrills of the girls which are "rising to a great glee" as the curtain falls.

Miller’s talent as a dramatic writer is clearly shown by the tremendous tension felt in this scene. Here, it is Abigail that starts the real build-up of tension that does not shatter at the end of the scene to the horror of the audience who can imagine what will follow. It starts when Abigail "enraptured" shouts: "I want the light...Devil" which completly breaks the previous slowness of Tituba’s confession and brings on the hysterical cries of, "I saw.......with the Devil" which becomes faster as all the girls join in and the scene ends "on their ecstatic cries". Miller, expertly makes Tituba’s confession slow and brocken up by her poor English, and suddenly he quickens the pace into the hysteria that follows. This change of pace from an already tense situation to one so tense that the audience can already feel a sense of doom shows his dramatic talent.The audience feels like shouting at Hale the ‘obvious’, that the girls are frauds and Tituba’s confession not valid, the audience can already sense that this is the beginnig of a gruesome affair that was started by Hale’s naivety. Thus, in this scene there is an amazing contrast between what the audience knows to be true and what appearences seem in the play to the characters. The fact that the audience at this point in the play is not only engrossed by the story but also wishes to take an active part in it shows the power of the tension in this scene and Miller’s skilll in creating a fantastic sense of outrage among the audience.

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The stage actions in the second chosen scene of "The Crucible" not only help us understand the characters and the situation better but also enhance the suspense build-up thus making this scene much more dramatically powerful . The tension of the moment is clearly expressed through the stage actions when Danforth is "blanched in terror" because previously there had been little or no mention of Danforth’s emotions and suddenly this horror clearly marks the importance of what Proctor just said and later on when "Danforth seems unsteady" and "Danforth cannot speak" clearly marks the overall importance of this passage. ...

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