The villagers are all off stage reading psalms and chanting prayers. Their presence is that of annoyance, menace and threat. This builds up the tension as they annoy Parris through this act and they make him angry. “I have no answer for that crowd,” Parris said to Putnam.
This scene opens with confusion. The audience is as confused as the characters in the play. Their confusion is shown to us through their language. Tituba is constantly interrupted by Parris who is angry and distracted.
Tituba: “My Betty not goin’ die….”
Parris: “Out of my sight, out of my…”
Parris is shouting at Tituba because he is angry and confused about what has happened to his daughter and what had been going on in the woods that night. Tituba is taken back by Parris’s shouting, as she seems only to be concerned about little Betty.
Miller uses simple everyday language but with surprising intensity. It sounds very much like natural speech. There is strength behind the rapid exchange of dialogue that not only adds to the tension of the act but also draws the readers in. Parris appears to be the anxious worried father that he is; however, if we pay close attention to his language and the actions that he takes, we see indications that he is mainly worried about his reputation as the priest and villager. “I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.” “And I pray you feel the weight of truth upon you, for now my ministry’s stake, my ministry and perhaps your cousins life.” Parris here is more concerned about his ‘ministry’ than Betty. He says that his enemies will ruin him if they know about the witchcraft. This shows that Parris’ character is self-centred as he cares more about his job than his daughter or niece.
Miller adds emotion to normal language. The simplicity of Millers language hides the personal tension, which we know is there. “Revered Parris I have laid seven babies unbaptised in the earth. Believe me, sir, you never saw more hearty babies born. And yet, each would wither in my arms the very night of their birth. I have spoken nothin’, but my heart has clamoured intimations. And now, this year, my Ruth, my only – I see her turning strange. A secret child she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin’ on her life too.” Mrs Putnam talks about seven of her children dying and Miller writes this normally but he adds emotion to it by the way it is said and the context it is said in. Mrs. Putnam is using normal language but actually makes great sweeping accusations.
Miller uses a single phrase or sentence to summarise all the tension and emotion of the character or moment. “I have a sense for heat John”. In this one phrase Abigail is saying that she has a sense for this heat and that she has a sense for any heat whatsoever. Abigail is saying that she still feels for Proctor as she can sense his heat even if he cannot sense hers. Miller fits all this emotion and subtext in one sentence. “There are wheels within wheels in this village and fires within fires.” Here Mrs Putnam is saying there is always something behind what people are saying. This quote means that within one burning problem there are several others. It is the fire of witchcraft but inside is the way people dislike how the Salem society is run. They dislike Parris for this and have no trust of each other.
Miller uses speech patterns to reveal the stress and tension of the characters involved. Most characters start to shorten their words being becomes bein’. They speak in a more rigid fashion than normal when they feel threatened or angry. Mr Putnam says “they had no right to sell it” compared to “how may we blame ourselves”, his rambling and speech patterns become more curt and short.
Miller builds the tension up towards the end of act one with the intense questioning of Tituba by Hale. This build up of questions creates a heightened sense of tension. “She made me do it, she made Betty do it!” Hale is trying to make Tituba say that she did deal with witchcraft and the devil. He does not say did you compact with the devil but “when did you compact with the devil?” This is an assumption. He assumes she has compact with the devil so rather than asking her this he asked when. He is trying to prove her guilty.
Arthur Miller also builds up the tension with Betty waking up. She gets caught up with the accusations of witchcraft and joins in. Throughout the scene she is asleep and Miller ends the scene with her suddenly speaking. This builds up the suspense with the dramatic and powerful ending. “She speaks (he rushes to embrace Betty) She Speaks!” This shows the audience and characters are astonished at Betty’s wakening. The curtain falls, as the repetition of phrase rings eerily on stage to create the dramatic ending.
Arthur Miller uses the relationships between particular characters to create the tense atmosphere and keep us out as we are slowly fed the information to build the suspense. The relationship between Abigail and Proctor is bringing in tension from the beginning, as the relationship is an illicit affair, Proctor is married. Miller uses this section to build up the tension by Proctor dismissing Abigail continuously. “No, no, Abby. That’s done with.” But Abigail continues to try to win his affection and it leads to an argument.
Abby: “Aye, but we did.”
Proctor:” Aye, but we did not.” “Do you look for a whippin’?”
Betty overhears them talking and screams. “Betty claps her ears suddenly and whines loudly”. This then causes Parris and many more characters to start to come into the room creating the claustrophobic tension as the small room is filling up drastically.
Parris, Proctor and Putnam have an argument that builds up tension as they argue about the parish, and their religious beliefs. Parris complains as he believes there are people against him in this parish.
Parris: “ There is a party in this church. I am not blind: there is a faction and a party,”
Proctor: “Against you?”
Putnam: “Against him and all authority!”
Proctor: “Why then I must find it and join it”
Proctor is tired of Parris’s preaching about the devil and shocks everybody by saying he wants to join this party against Parris. The anger and the volatility of the relationship is visible, it is brewing tension. By continuing to argue and by staring up more trouble with what he is staying, Proctor is causing them to become more angry and tense.
Miller uses the plot development and structure of the act to build up they tension as the occurrences throughout the act become more intense and important. First in the act there is a child asleep on the bed then we find out that the children have dealt with witchcraft. Mrs. Putnam’s daughter Ruth then is sick the same as Betty. Mary Warren comes in and talks to Abby then Betty tries to fly out the window to see her dead mum. Abigail has a fierce conversation with the girls saying if they tell what happened in the woods she would kill them. Proctor then enters and we find out about his affair with Abigail. Proctor, Parris and Putnam then have a fierce conversation and Reverend Hale enters and questions Abigail and Tituba, the act ends with Betty waking up and her and the other girls shout out the names of people whom they have seen with the devil. This act has become tenser with the happenings during the act building up.
Miller builds this play strongly to bring out the full dramatic effect of tension.
He has used a combination of language, relationships, his plot and theatrical effects to conjure up a tense atmosphere, which develops as the act continues. Miller has made us visually and physically aware of the tension using his speech and stage directions.
Word count 1647.
