“The Crucible” By Arthur Miller - religion and puritan belief

Charlotte Hamil

Year 10

“THE CRUCIBLE” BY ARTHUR MILLER

“The Crucible” by Arthur Miller is set in the seventeenth century and involves the Puritan beliefs and religion. The characters in the play are very religious. Anyone who was considered to be a witch was condemned to death. This was because any sort of witchcraft was considered as worshiping the devil, which is totally against their faith.

John Proctor was a farmer, and is married to Elizabeth. He is well respected in the town where the play was set. However, he has sinned because he committed adultery with Abigail Williams, niece of the local minister. The affair ceased once Elizabeth found out.

On page 17 of the play, we see that Abigail is still in love with John by the way she says, “I am waiting for you every night” and “She clutches him desperately”. It gives the impression that this affair has given her great pleasure and she will do anything to get it back. She tries to seduce him into taking her back. Examples of this are “softening” and “weeping”. This is trying to make Proctor feel sorry for her in return for his love. Abigail uses similes as she compares Proctor, “And you sweated like a stallion whenever I come near.” The animal used in this context is seen as a very masculine figure, with great power. The reader can sense her feelings as this line is spoken with great passion. She hopes this will allure the affair to rekindle. She says, “I cannot sleep for dreamin’; I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I’d find you comin’ through some door”. This is another of Abigail’s methods of enticing Proctor into resuming their illicit affair. The type of dialogue she chooses suggest that she is basically desperate for the romance once again. She is even prepared to go to the lengths of calling Elizabeth Proctor “a sickly wife” to get him back. This also gives the impression that Abigail is extremely jealous of Elizabeth.

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While the sequence of Abigail selling herself to John ongoing, he has to try and prevent himself from anything happening once again. At first the reader would think John does not want anything to do with Abigail by the way Miller says “Setting her firmly out of his path”, and him saying “ No, no, Abby. That is done with”. This would give the impression that Proctor has no feelings for Abigail and he just wants to get her out of his mind. Then again, the reader begins to feel suspicious when Proctor says that he “may have looked up” at her window. Also the way he only “gently” presses away from her “with great sympathy”. This might suggest that he is aware he has done wrong, but still does like Abigail. He just doesn’t want to risk his religion or marriage for an affair. This is demonstrated particularly when Abigail speaks of his wife. He says with anger, “You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth!” He starts to shake her when Abigail accuses Elizabeth. This obviously shows that he cares greatly for his wife, and will not allow anyone to speak badly of her.

On the other hand, the conservation between Proctor and Elizabeth starting on page 41, differs greatly from the sequence involving Proctor and Abigail previously. The act starts with Proctor returning home, his wife greeting him with a meal. While he eats it she “sits and watches him taste it” and “blushes with pleasure” when John says, “It’s well seasoned”. It is obvious here that Elizabeth gets great satisfaction from seeing John happy. If she can provide for him the things he likes, it gives her motivation. This contrasts greatly with the other relationship that John has, where it is clear that it is both parties that are getting equal pleasure out of the same experience. There doesn’t seem to be much excitement between Elizabeth and Proctor.

There is a lack of intensity in the conversation since “Aye” is spoken several times. The play is also directed where the couple are at different ends of the room, indicating separation. “It is as though she would speak, but cannot”. This suggests tension in the atmosphere. The comparison between this and Proctor’s other relationship is obvious. In that scene Abigail tries to get as near to Proctor as she can, “dares to come closer”. Adjectives such as “grasping”, “clutches” and “pressing” are all said, which suggest the need to move closer. However, relationship between the married couple shows great distance.

From the way Goody Proctor speaks, the reader would get the impression that she wants to avoid any arguments, and doesn’t like being confronted. For example, “She doesn’t want friction”, she says Mary “frightened all her strength away”. Proctor saying, “How may that mouse frighten you?”, compares her to be weaker than a mouse. A simile like this suggests that she cant really stand up for herself, and doesn’t like having to force answers out of people. In the sequence starting on page 17, Abigail is the opposite as she demonstrates her assertiveness. She wants to know why Proctor isn’t with her because she feels he still loves her, “You loved me then and you do now”. This is a vast difference between the personalities of both women. Goody Proctor seems to be quiet and doesn’t want anyone hurt. Abigail is very confident and will go any lengths to get what she wants.

While discussing the court case, Elizabeth starts to build up courage and tries to convince Proctor into telling the truth. He starts to get angry in the discussion and you get this impression as the tone of his voice starts to rise. “I say I will think on it!” Proctor says angrily. Once he said that Goody Proctor starts to feel “hurt and cold”. This is the point where she starts to walk out of the room, probably feeling sorry for herself. This is very different compared to the association between Abigail and Proctor since it was he who was trying to get away, though this was only because he had to. He knew the affair had to finish and was trying to stop himself being seduced by Abigail’s temptations.

In conclusion, I think the relationship between Elizabeth and Proctor was a positive one till she became aware of her husbands betrayal. Up to that point she provided for her husband’s needs and this was enough. However, now she has lost confidence and perhaps realises that providing for his needs, in her way could not match the sexual needs that were apparent in the other relationship. The sexual relationship between Abigail and John appeared to dominate despite John’s wishes to remain faithful to his religion and beliefs. In the relationship between Elizabeth and John, he takes on the dominant role whereas with Abigail and John, she takes the manipulative lead. We see signs of John giving in to her advances but we see none of this in the other relationship. Overall, this gives the impression that sexual desire out ways other requirements in a relationship.