English GCSE:

Examine the end of Act One in “The Crucible”. Consider the importance of this scene to the rest of the play and analyse how Miller makes it dramatic.

“The Crucible” is a play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller in 1952. It is set in a small town called Salem in America where a group of Puritan settlers who arrived from England in 1630 first settled. The play is set in 1692, at which time there was a strong belief in the Devil. Persecution of witches by church authorities was common. Puritans believed in, and feared the Devil and his power to tempt human souls to Hell.

Parallels can be drawn between the late seventeenth century and the mid twentieth century, when America was governed by persecution and the fear of communism as the Cold War took place. Arthur Miller equated the hunt for communists in the 1950’s with the witch-hunts of Salem 250 years earlier.

The end of Act One is an important scene within the play because it is when witchcraft allegations first arise. The witchcraft theme continues throughout the play as accusations are made, people are hanged and what used to be a tightly knit community falls apart.

On page 34, Hale, a puritanical Reverend from a neighbouring village, who is well known for his previous exorcisms, is desperately trying to awaken Betty, as it is feared that she has been bewitched. She has been taken sick. Her father, Parris, who is also the local minister, saw her and other young girls dancing in the forest the previous night with the slave Tituba. It is believed that the girls were practising witchcraft in a ceremony for the Devil.

The scene takes place in Betty’s bedroom. This heightens the atmosphere of tension in the room, as it is such a homely, private place. Hale’s deep belief in his ability to hunt out witchcraft and evil adds to the atmosphere as people in Betty’s room and the audience are told “If the Devil is in her you will witness some frightful wonders in this room, so please keep your wits about you.” A feeling of fear and suspense is therefore also present in the room.

Parris is terrified because he believes the Devil has chosen to strike his household. He is concerned about what others will think as he is constantly trying to uphold his reputation throughout the play. Parris referring to the Devil says, “Why would he choose my house to strike? We have all manner of licentious people in the village!” He’s feeling sorry for himself and wants an explanation for what is going on. When he goes on to say “We have all manner of licentious people in the Village!” he is implying that there are plenty of people who are ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Hale, trying to settle Parris’ nerves replies by saying “What victory would the Devil have to win a soul already bad?” By this, Hale is questioning why would the Devil want to win over any other villagers, who are already evil, and on the Devil’s side. Hale goes on to say, “It’s the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the Minister?” Hale is saying the Devil needs a challenge and therefore that the Devil has won a great victory by defeating the minister. The Devil’s conquest of the most ‘virtuous’ member of the village represents the ultimate triumph for the Devil. Hale appears to be trying to impress Parris by complementing him.

Hale goes on to say to Betty, who is still motionless in her bed “Does someone afflict you, child?… Perhaps some bird invisible to others comes to you – perhaps a pig, a mouse, or any beast at all.” By saying this, it makes Hale sound professional to the others in the room, and to the audience, because he would appear to know what to expect and what is distressing Betty. It demonstrates the scientific approach that Hale has towards his work. He wants to find precise signs of witchcraft, so that he can go about his job, and seek the witchcraft out.

Hale may not realise this, but when he asks if a bird came to Betty, he may have put ideas into the minds of both Betty and also Abigail. Later in Act 3, the girls are in courtroom, and Mary confesses that they had lied about the witchcraft. Abigail and the other girls will not admit to the lie, and they pretend that Mary is sending her spirit out upon them. “Abigail with a weird, wild, chilling cry screams up to the ceiling”. This creates a tense atmosphere, as everyone in the court, and equally the audience, are shocked by Abigail’s outcry, as they are unable to see what is happening. Abigail continues with “Why do you come to me, yellow bird?” The other girls join in and carry on with the drama. It would appear that outcry by Abigail and the other girls may have been triggered by Hale’s words earlier in the play, in use against Mary.

During the period in history in which the play is set, witches were believed to have certain powers given to them by their master, the Devil. It was believed that witches could make themselves invisible, and change themselves and others into animals, birds or mythical beasts. This has a direct link with the play, as Hale, who studied witchcraft, knew this. The girls exploited this fear of witchcraft to fool others that Mary is a witch, during her outcry in the courtroom.

Hale stands over Betty, as she lies in her bed, and he starts to speak in Latin “In nomine, domini sabaoth sui filiique ite ad infernos”, which translates as “In the name of the Christian God and his son, go out from this girl and return to Hell.” It helps to establish the sombre atmosphere. Speaking in Latin gives villagers and the audience the impression of Hale being a well-educated and holy man, knowledgeable about witchcraft and the Devil. We can assume that Hale would also have known how to defeat the Devil.

Hale switches his attention to Abigail, in his desire to identify the truth regarding the events that occurred in the woods the previous night. Hale is still greatly confused, and shocked, about what actually happened. He asks of Abigail “What sort of dancing were you doing with her in the forest?”. The impression that we are given is that his shock is on two levels – that there should be dancing in such a puritanical community, and that there had been such a blatant disregard for his religious ethics that the girls are suspected of having danced with the devil in the moonlight. His interrogation intensifies with the pace of his questioning. A tense atmosphere is created by Hale’s suspicion of Abigail, and his belief that Abigail was the main cause of the previous night’s events. His anger is focused on Abigail in an attempt to obtain the truth.

During this questioning, few stage directions are used. Those that are given are very direct: the intensity of the situation is carried through the language. Abigail swiftly becomes the centre of attention as she reveals more facts about the events in the forest. It is discovered that Abigail and the other girls danced around a kettle, containing a “very little frog”. Suspicions arise in the room. Hale suddenly grasps Abigail, and confronts her with the news “It may be your cousin is dying”. Abigail is shocked by the news, and the audience is gripped by the revelation. Hale jumps straight to the point with the vital question “Did you call the Devil last night?” Abigail, startled by the directness of the question, immediately switches attention to the slave Tituba.

Hale and Parris are horrified by the thought that it may have been the slave who had lead the girls to the Devil. The pace of the confrontation further quickens and becomes more intense: conversation becomes short, sharp sentences. “She never drank it” “Did you drink it?” “No, Sir!”, “Did Tituba ask you to drink it?” “She tried but I refused”. The tension increases as more and more is revealed.

As he no longer feels he is getting the truth, Hale strikes Abigail again with another direct question: “Why are you concealing? Have you sold yourself to Lucifer?” The drama is intensified: the question is as punishing as a blow to the head. Abigail’s denial is reinforced by an accusational finger pointed at Tituba “She made me do it! She made Betty do it!” Abigail, realising how serious the situation is, does what she can in desperation, to get out of an increasingly tense and difficult confrontation.

The truth emphasises the discomfort of the audience. The audience might equate the blame of Tituba with the hunt for communists within America during the 1950s: indeed they may even be relieved to be able to blame the slave for the downfall of the ‘innocent’ girls, just as problems in American society were being blamed on communist infiltration. Ironically Abigail’s accusations would have had parallels with the religious prejudice that had caused the community to leave England a generation before.

On page 36, Abigail is still getting much attention from both Hale and Parris who are still suspicious and unsure on the subject of the previous night’s events. Continuing to shift the blame with desperation, Abigail says”She makes me drink blood!”She is being very devious as this is not altogether true.she is trying to put Tituba into the spotlight.

Mrs Putnam, who’s had many unfortunate miscarriages, asks “My baby’s blood?”.She wants an explanation for her babies dying end uses witcraft as a justification. We feel she wants someone to place the blame on as she is upset and can now find a suspect.Later in act one Mr s Putnam continues to want to blame someone for her dead children. As soon as Tituba mentions Goody Osburn, Mrs Putnam automatically blames her, “I knew it! Goody Osburn were midwife to me three times. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged him not to call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shrivelled in her hands!” Mrs Putnam is creating a dramatic scene regarding her babies. She may want sympathy, attention but also the satisfaction of blameing someone.

Tituba confessing to giving the girls blood says “No, no, chicken blood. I give she chicken blood!” It would appear Abigails plan to shift the blam e worked as Tituba has confessed to this and H ale and Parris turn to Tituba for more answers.

Abigail insists “She sends her spirit out on me in church;She makes me laugh at prayer!” she persists in blaming