From this you can clearly see Abigail’s intensions, wanting to take his wife’s place. This could be because Abigail was once a servant to John and when she worked for him they had an affair. This action made John a hypocrite. He hates himself for this, but he does not show any of this and hides his pain inside, only at the end of the play do we see it. Next the audience get a description in the stage directions,
“Man-powered of body, even tempered, and not easily led”
Later in the play this description will be put to the test, we will see him sticking up for what he thinks is right.
At the beginning of act 2 we see John at home for the first time; we see him with a gun and learn that he is a farmer. When John walks in he hears his wife singing (Elizabeth), he pauses. This allows audience to see he is affected by Elizabeth’s actions; all he wants is her to be happy. To show this John makes his way over to the soup; he tastes some and adds some salt. He does not complain,
“It’s well seasoned”
John actions in the seasoning the food to taste without his wife knowledge, then complimenting her on how well she has judged the seasoning, shows his wish that she could be happy. It also shows a lack of honesty in the relationship. Her reaction indicates a corresponding desire to please him. They lead on to tell you that it is very cold in the room this is how you know they are both not totally comfortable around each other and Elizabeth still don’t trust John. This could be because John had an affair. Later John accuses her for not forgiving him.
“You forgive nothing…forget nothing”
From these few lines you can see that there is a barrier between Elizabeth and John, this is preventing them getting any closer to each other and it does not matter how hard they try. But there is not just a problem in their relationship the committee is falling apart, with people scared that they might be called a witch next, at this point Proctor thinks everything will be alight. He does not want to prove that Abigail is lying to everyone as he still has feelings for her. Elizabeth expresses this saying
“She cannot pass you in the church but you will blush”
Elizabeth knows he has feelings for Abigail and knows he will not go to the court unless he has too or gets told to do it. He loves Elizabeth but has feelings for Abigail. John has to choose between both of them later in the play. This is a struggle the audience can see.
When Hale arrives John act normal like nothing is wrong, but Hale asks John a question, the question is to name the Ten Commandments, John says all of them but the one he committed with Abigail adultery. This creates tension.
Act 3 is set in a courtroom and this is important when considering who successful Act 4 is because it provides a context for the audience. In the italics Miller describes how there is little hope; he does this by using a two windows high up on the wall producing the only light in the room. This symbolises the John’s fate. This indicates that only get justice form up high.
In the beginning of the play, John could have stopped Abigail, but now it is too late. John knowing the truth tries to convince the court that she is lying, they just think he is saying this to save Elizabeth (John’s wife), as he did not come forward until his wife is accused of being a witch.
“We burn a hot fire here; it
Melts down all concealment”
This line from the trial strongly implies and links with the title the ‘Crucible’. It also suggests hell fires, though Danforth means the fire of purification, and links with the motif of heat running through the text. What he says is not true, for his “hot fire” simply means encourages more people to lie and practise ‘Concealment’.
Danforth also reveals to us that Elizabeth is pregnant; due to this she is safe till the baby is born as they cannot harm the baby as it is innocent. But John not just coming to save his wife, he carries on to save all his friends.
Now John brings in, ‘Marry Warren.’ Marry was once a lying with the girls, but she has now gone over to John’s side. Mary talks the truth throughout “it were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried up spirits”. This just one of the things she says in court. Mary is fighting a losing battle because the sits turn on her. John draws the attention away from her by calling Abigail a whore. This makes the audience feel really worried and shocked, he has admitted to disobeying one of the Ten Commandments.
John explains his past relationship Abigail, in doing so he has revealed that he has Brocken one of the Ten Commandments. John explains that Elizabeth knew all about this and has never lied, Danforth trying to find out if this is true calls for Elizabeth she is told she must say if it is true or false. “ For what cause did you dismiss her” this is an impossible question for Elizabeth, if she tells the truth she condemns her husband as an adulterer, if she lies she goes against the dictates of her own conscience. She also does not know what her husband has said. She thinks her husband would not have told the truth so she lies as well. Unfortunately he had told the truth, John’s life depended on one word from his wife but Salem has become so warped that by lying to protect him she simply condemns him to death. Mary knowing there is no hope turns and accuses John a witch. By now the audience feel worried and angry. It is as if they are witnessing hell it’s self.
“Afire, a fire is burning!” At the end of the act Miller again uses fire imagery. Contrasting directly with Danforth’s ‘hot fire’ that’ melts down all ‘concealment’, Proctor denounces the fires of Salem as the devil. Far from removing concealment, they help to conceal the falseness in their hearts.
In Act 4 Miller again steers the audience to see that Proctor will not confess when he gives the directions "pauses, then with a flailing of hope". We are now led to believe that Proctor will be unable to bring himself to confess as he can see that it is morally incorrect behaviour. In the next speech by Proctor where he says, "I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is fraud. I am not that man. She is silent. My honesty is broke Elizabeth; I am no good man." Here Miller portrays Proctor as not being afraid of death, but that he does not feel that he is worthy to die alongside the likes of Rebecca as he is a sinful man. He is also slightly seeking justification to live. Throughout this extract it is clear that John is judging himself and here he is still under the impression that he is not worthy of greatness, although he is not sure as he is mentally battling with himself to come to some sort of conclusion. Elizabeth realises this and replies "And yet you've not confessed till now. That speaks goodness in you." This shows us that she wants Proctor to forgive himself, and to feel that God has forgiven him, although she too is showing that she wants him to be upright and not confess. In the following speech by Proctor, his long sentences and metaphorical language elevate his speech and gives it a poetic quality. Miller does this in order to build Proctor up in the eyes of the audience as a tragic figure. John is fighting with all of his soul against hell and the devil (Abigail).
The ‘Crucible’ means when a metal is heated till it melts then cools down; at the end of the process the metal is purer. This is exactly what happens in the Crucible. The Towns system was completely wrong as it was like a ladder with the more important people at the top (Paris) and the bottom (Tituba). The ladder over the time has changed, with Abigail making her way higher up the ladder.
Throughout the play Miller's stage directions are precise and emotive but particularly during most of Act Four which revolves around John Proctor's confession. Miller's stage directions are consistent and precise - giving no room for individual interpretation of how the characters are feeling and the dramatic tension in this closing period to the play. Act four where John is alone with Elizabeth discussing whether he should confess or not, Miller's stage directions describe his movement
“As though in physical pain, slowly rising to his feet with a great immortal longing”
In the final scene when Proctor tears up his confession, Miller's stage directions become frequent and almost poetic in his deep, dramatic descriptions of John Proctor, his movements and emotions, in the speech where John tears up his confession Miller's stage direction reads
“With a cry of his whole soul”
Such directions for Proctor help to create a very dramatic atmosphere to this final scene as we can picture his emotions and his body language with extreme precision; the dramatic descriptions are used to describe other characters around this point which creates an all round dramatic atmosphere.
