Later on in the act, Proctor is talking to his wife, Elizabeth, just before he is to be taken to the gallows. Throughout the play a sense of tension between them has been apparent, for example Proctor obviously not liking the food Elizabeth has cooked for him in act 1, but he secretly seasons it and compliments her on how tasty it is, just to satisfy her. The tension is because of Proctor, mid thirties, having an affair with Abigail previously, who was originally staged as a young teenager (made older in the play), and his guilt about that. Proctor shows his true love for Elizabeth in act 4 when they are having a conversation. He looks for forgiveness from Elizabeth, pouring his heart out to her, looking for strength from her. Instead of directly forgiving him, she blames herself for him having the affair. This can show how she cares for him very much, or how she’ll never let him forget about the affair. Though she loves her husband and wants him to live, she realizes he can only do so if he compromises himself. She refuses to ask him to confess and, once he recants his confession, refuses to ask him to reconsider, saying that she would not deny him his sense of goodness even to save his life.
The stress shows blatantly when he explicitly questions himself. “What is John Proctor?” This shows how he feels that he’s lost his name – one of the only things that he has that is important to him, as his name represents how others think of him – their feelings for him are associated with it. If he is questioning his name, he could also be questioning his purpose; he feels like he is useless now, so he might as well be hung now. On top of asking himself, he may be asking God, seeing as religion was one of the most important aspects to his people’s lives, and essentially their devoutness to comply with the theocracy being the root of the troubles in Salem. This questioning is his questioning of his principals. He’s beginning to believe that his principals are not worth dying for, having listened to Hale’s argument that “God damns a liar less he throw that life away for pride”. This leads onto his confession.
In the end, Proctor decides that giving a false confession is not too high a price to pay for saving his own life. When he realizes, however, that it will undo the reputation he has built over a lifetime and cause him to betray his friends and community, he chooses death over dishonour and tears up his signed confession, as it was to be posted on the church door, for all to see. He then states that he wouldn’t have his name (everything he had left) taken away by signing the confession. This would have been put on the church door, where presumably everyone, including the people who he respected and was respected by, would see his weakness. It would have also had a knock on effect to Elizabeth, and their unborn child, who would be respected less. This event was also foreshadowed previously, when Proctor ripped up a warrant, again defying the law, which was (supposed) to be a core part of their lives. This ripping up of the confession can be seen as a metaphor for ripping up his life. This obvious loathing of law was foreshadowed by his tearing up of the warrant earlier in the play – another act of blatant disagreement. Through this, Proctor recovers his identity as a man of goodness and character.
Other people apart from Proctor have doubts at the end of Act 4: Danforth, the Deputy Governor has reservations about the Witch Trials. He says “Reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now.” This shows how even the most superior, such as himself, are doubting the Trials, and that he would rather the victims hang than the truth come out, because that would show that their innate wisdom and power is flawed. In a way, that’s fair enough, as if it is known that their wisdom is flawed, following trials and verdicts will be viewed in a somewhat diminished light and greater responsibilities have been placed upon him; such pressures would change the mind of any normally sane person.
Defiance of the trials is again demonstrated, by Giles Corey, a simple farmer. The story is repeated by Elizabeth who, in her state, recounts it with much emotion. When being tortured for a confession, Giles neither says yes or no, simply uttering “more weight”, for extra rocks to be put on his chest, suffocating him in the process. The simple phrase shows how deep his feelings of opposition to the trials are, and that he is willing to die for the right cause. It also shows how, in the midst of all of the finding of scapegoats, there is someone who is willing to give up his own life, in perhaps a more painful way than hanging, just so someone can gain. In this case it is his sons who will gain – his not confessing either way meant that his farmland could legally be passed onto his sons, without authorities swiping it. This makes Proctor feel small; an older, weaker man showing such courage, bravery and mental strength when he is falling apart and showing none of what Corey had.
Many of the ways in which the characters speak increases the drama in Act 4, for example pauses. When characters pause, such as when Elizabeth and John are speaking, it’s an obvious sign that there is tension between characters, and that there are differences. It can also show how a character wants to say, but can’t or doesn’t know how. The use of exclamation marks is an excellent tool for increasing pace. Exclamation marks can also show that the characters have a temper, but have passion in their voices, too, showing how much they believe in what they’re saying. Quite often the exclamation marks show the desperation that there is, and demonstrate the hysteria around the trials. With the exclamation marks are often short sentences and characters cutting each other off and butting in. All of these add great pace with animation, even without stage directions. It shows very well how everyone thinks that their opinion or comment is so much more important than anyone else’s, and that they should just say their thoughts, and then everyone will listen.
A time when foreshadowing occurs is during the scene at the beginning of act 4 in the jail when we see Tituba and Sarah Good in a decrepit state. They are said to be dressed in rags, and in a cell that is filthy. They are shown to becoming deranged, calling for the devil, and believing that he’s coming when they hear the bell of a cow. There things give us a clue as to how many other characters will end up before the end of the act. The fact that there are cows just wandering around emphasises the fact that many people are already dead or in the cells. The cow is also described to be bellowing. Bellowing gives a sense of anxiety, and has much more feeling than just mooing.
In The Crucible, Proctor is displayed to us in many ways. In act 1, he is portrayed as being a strong, wilful man, but then degrades by act 4, when he is shown as a weak, smaller man. In a way, this view of Proctor can be seen as a representation of the whole of Salem and the Witch Trials’ basis– strong and united at the start, but corrupt, oppressed and basically weak by the end of act 4. Rebecca Nurse represents the community also, but represents those that have remained strong throughout. Rebecca affects Proctor by being a constant source of goodness and innocence, giving him aspiration to overcome his troubles.
Proctor turning from Elizabeth a significant piece of staging. Because she is a representation of the truth - she has “never lied”; Proctor somehow feels that he cannot face such goodness, showing his feelings of unworthiness. Alternatively, it can be seen as turning from the truth, and not wanting it. Another reason that he cannot look at Elizabeth is because he may still feel guilt for his affair with Abigail.
It is worth noting that two of the strongest characters in the play, Rebecca and Elizabeth, are women. Their continual strength and steadfastness present a great contrast to the moral weakness of Parris, the moral impotence of Hale, and the moral vacillation of Proctor.
The time in which the scenes are set is an epitomization of Miller’s innate ability to reflect the mood in other things except for the characters. Here he uses seasons to reflect the atmosphere and stage at which the trials are; the first three acts are set in spring, the time for things growing, the trials here building up. The 4th act is set in autumn, the season of decay and death; exactly mirrored by the trials, the trials breaking down and people dying.
As is plain to see, Miller uses natural things, like the seasons, to create drama. He also uses references to the rising Sun frequently. Usually dawn is associated with hope, but in this case it isn’t – it is associated with death, because at dawn time will be out for the victims on death row; their time will be nigh, and they will be hung at the gallows. This constant notice that time is running out for their innocence to be proved creates great tension. Will they get hung? Or will some people swallow their pride and do what’s best for those whose lives are just about to be stolen from them?
The ending of the play still has all of the drama that every other part had, but in a more ordered way. People, including John Proctor, are to be hung as the sun rises. A drum roll starts. You know an end will come, no matter what, like the lives of those to be hung, the drum roll enters a crescendo, building up until it finally stops; the ropes have become taut and the innocent victims of the Salem Witch Trials are being murdered. It doesn’t say they are, but the end of the drum roll signifies this obviously, words not being needed to describe this.
The Crucible is full of drama, not only in the ending scenes, but throughout, taking twists and turns when you least expect it. Because Miller used a real story, using real people with real events, the whole play comes down to a more understandable level, especially for those during the 50s when McCarthyism was at it’s worst, due to it’s realism, the most part of which is due to the drama. In more recent times than the 50s, has this play been understood by many because of the modern situations – since 9/11 sales of tickets to The Crucible plays and books have risen considerably. Different areas of the world are affected differently by this play, as civil wars and revolutions ravage countries. This play gives them an insight to their problems, and gives them comfort to a certain degree, as they are able to relate to it.
