Josh Mills
How does Miller create tension in Act I of “The Crucible”?
The anti-Communist hysteria during the 1950’s led to a mass persecution of people associated with Communism. Post WW2 America was a nation if fear and suspicion because of the on going cold war with Russia, anyone one remotely connected to a known communist could be persecuted, this sparked a fear that Russia could take over the world. At the time a playwright, Arthur Miller could not express his feelings due to society’s strong support for McCarthyism. So Arthur Miller wrote a play about the Salem witch-hunts during 16th century America. Miller had to be subtle in how he expressed his feelings about the political movement McCarthyism, so he used the play as an allegory.
This play uses the Salem witch-hunt, because of the similarities in the unsupported accusations, and how people were encouraged to denounce their friends and family if they were known witches otherwise they could be portrayed as witches. The Salem witch-hunt was a lot more savage and the behavior of the people was anthropomorphic, with the “witches” being burned to the stake, with only people’s accusations as evidence. Salem was a theocracy and church was considered to be the most important part of life. Miller had to recontextualize the story, to make sure that the society didn’t make accusations towards him. The first words spoken being “My Betty be hearty soon?” The title ‘The Crucible’ is appropriate because a crucible is a container where metals are purified after heating. It reflects how Proctor has been heated by his ordeal and came through to die, his conscience clear, thus purified. The irony of the play is that Proctor is more purer by not signing a confession, and that the people who are providing the confession are trying to make him purer.
I will explore the techniques used in creating the play, to create various moods in the mind of the audience, in Act I. In Act I we discover Parris’s and Mrs. Put’m’s daughters – Betty and Ruth, lying inanimate on their beds. The people in the village are all ready jumping to conclusions that the Devil is involved, and Parris is putting that off, scared for his name in the village. We find out that Abigail and friends had been dancing in the woods and trying to use black magic. We do get clues that the girls are faking their illness, as Betty wakes up when Parris leaves the room but ideas have been planted in the villagers. We find Abigail quickly becomes the leader of the girls dancing in the forest. Worried for the villagers the town order an expert in to help then solve the satanic actions occurring, – called Mr. Hale. The main events that take place in brief: are that Abigail takes the chance to talk to John Proctor, who becomes the main character. Tituba, Parris’s slave, as usual is blamed for witching the two children in the woods. This cause a lot of the girls to say they saw each other with the Devil. In terms of this plot tension is created within the audience, this is because we can see that they all mistrust each other, and that a lot of secrecy will occur as the play develops. Also the fact that the plot thickens so quickly would make the audience more uneasy and increase tension. The dramatic irony with the talking behind each others backs creates tension, and involves the audience more; this makes them more curious and inquisitive about what will happen.
