At the time of writing “The crucible” Arthur Miller was appalled at what was happening to the Land of the Free (America). Miller himself was called before the investigating committee and subjected to a long interrogation about his political view. He admitted attending communist writers meetings nine years before. When asked to incriminate others he refused. This can be seen as another parallel, with “The crucible” as John Proctor also refused to name names. It can be seen as John Proctor is a personification of Miller himself, as they experience similar situations and obviously Miller communicates his views through his creation John Proctor.
Arthur Miller did not bring the atrocities of 1692 for their purely historical interest: he used them in order to comment on his own time in America, but the play is relevant to other cases of organized mass hysteria in the past and recent times. The play was written in 1952 and was an allegory of the political state of America under the supervision of Senator Joseph McCartney. The play set in 1692 in a god fearing puritan village that was isolated in the east of Massachusetts. The Salem Witch trials which happened two centuries before the play was written, and therefore the location of the play was thought of to be the masking of the anti-communist message it was portraying.
The play explores the ideas about individuality and conformity in a society. Individualism in a society means refusing to conform, and if one refuses to conform then conflicts may arise. The central conflict in the play arises from one of Miller’s recurrent themes- what an individual does in his life affects the whole society. This refers to Proctor’s adultery and the catastrophic events that result but also his decision at the end of the play.
Coming after the high drama of the court scene at the end of Act 3, Act 4 begins in a subdued, muted way. It is set in a cell where Tituba and Sarah Good are talking before Herrick attempts to move them. The opening of the Act is a contrast to the hysterical ending of Act 3 where there were more accusations of witchcraft, more screaming and shouting. The subdued beginning of Act 4 is needed as Miller knows by compiling too much tension it would become comical. Miller uses the juxtaposition of the high drama of Act 3 to the subdued but comic beginning to Act 4.
The comedy at the beginning of Act 4 is of great importance as it alleviates the tension. Miller injects some comedy into the opening of the act when Tituba and Sarah Good believe the noise of a bellowing cow is the devil. If I were a director of this scene I would have the “mooing” of a cow made from off stage, and then have Tituba claim it to be the devil. This would clearly indicate to the audience that it was not the devil. Although it is comic to believe that Tituba and Sarah Good believe a cow to be the devil, is it really so comic? Surely it is more unbelievable to think that Rebecca Nurse is the devil or that most of Salem’s population is the devil. This bellowing cow is clearly not the devil and it is also apparent to an audience by this time that the devil is not in Salem. I feel that the cow being thought to be the devil is used by Miller to reiterate the fact that the whole of Salem has gone mad with witchcraft or distinct lack of it. On the other hand the bellowing cow shows how although the court came to bring order because of dancing and accusations of witch craft ironically they have created more disorder. The disorder of the society is shown when Cheever says “There be so many cows wanderin the highroads, now their masters are in the jails”. This shows not only has the court failed to help the broken society of Salem it has in fact made the situation worse.
Act 4 is set in the confines of a prison cell. Miller stages every Act in “The Crucible” inside a building and with a restricted amount of light. Act 1 is set in “a small upper bedroom with a stream of sunlight”. The restricted amount of light in every Act suggests the darkness of the Salem community, in this religious community there is no enlightenment, or even the light of reason. Miller’s settings of each Act also dramatise the way private acts have public consequences. The theme of public and private is developed throughout the play, while Act 1 and 2 are set in private settings, Act 3 and 4 are set in the public courtroom and prison cell. The actions of Act 1 and 2 may have seemed private at the time but by the time the play reaches Act 3 these private actions begin to have public consequences. This displays that an individual cannot act alone and that one’s actions not only affect oneself but also the rest of society.
The entrance of Hale in Act 1 shows him to be a powerful man. He is the man who will rid Salem of the devil; he will save the already broken community. Not only is Salem supposedly harbouring the devil, before this there were squabbles over land, jealousy and vengeance. Hale is seen by the Salem community as a saviour. Nicholas Hytner’s film production conveys an image that Hale is a hero, the whole population of Salem come to greet his entrance. Hytner also shows Hale to be very committed to his work, and upon his arrival it seems he is in a rush to begin his work, by rushing to see the inert Betty. I feel Hytner’s way of introducing Hale is effective, because as an audience one can see how Hail and his books were seen by the Salem community to be the answers to all their problems.
Hale is believed to be an expert on witchcraft. He was initially summoned by Parris to determine whether the devil was in Salem.
