The play "The Crucible" was written in 1952 by Arthur Miller.

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The play “The Crucible” was written in 1952 by Arthur Miller and it was set in 1692, Salem Massachusetts. Arthur Miller wrote this play to criticize the McCarthy witch hunt trials in the 1950s which were against communism. Crucible is a “Container which melts metal”. The metals are melted in a intense heat and then only the purest metals are left in intact. The tale of the play relates to one character in particular, John Proctor is tested in life threatening situations, but by the end of the play he is determined not to betray himself he has come through the fire to be purified.

     In the beginning of Act 2 John Proctor enters the scene coming home from work. He enters his home and he hears Elizabeth singing to the children to put them to sleep. He then continues to the fireplace and swings out a pot out of the fire and smells it, then tastes it and adds a pinch of salt as he was not pleased with the taste. Elizabeth then comes down and asks him in an angered and curious way where he has been all this time “What keeps you so late? It’s almost dark” This shows that she thinks that John has been with Abigail whom John Proctor has had an affair with. This shows that their relationship is very cold and distant as Elizabeth does not trust him nomore. John is guilty for committing an affair and tries to please her in many ways like telling her that the food is well cooked “It’s well seasoned” but what she does not know is that John added a bit more salt to the food so it tastes good. He tries to praise her and please her, He also tells her that if the crop is good he will buy her George Jacobs heifer “if the crop is good I’ll buy George Jacobs’s Heifer” she replies like she does not really care “aye it would” she is being cold towards John and almost does not want to believe that he was in the field working, not with Abigail.

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Later on in the scene Hale arrives in John and Elizabeth’s home and asks John to tell him the commandments but he forgets one commandment Adultery but his wife to save John reminds him “Adultery, John”. This tells us Elizabeth still has feelings for John and she feels deeply for him although she is angered by him having an affair. Just as Hale is about to leave Cheever arrives with an arrest warrant for Elizabeth for committing witchcraft. Cheever searches the house and finds a poppet this is then used against her and she is taken away. John reacts angrily ...

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