Arthur Miller uses many different types of dramatic irony throughout the play. In this first act John says ‘Can you speak one minute without we land in hell again? I am sick of hell.’ This is ironic, as the audience will see as the play unfolds, Proctor will become more acquainted with the devil and the decisions he has to make will lead him towards heaven or hell.
Throughout the first act the audience has learnt that John regrets having had an affair with Abigail Williams, and just wants to move on. He is opposed to any kind of witchcraft and the thought of it being in Salem, Massachusetts. Although he respects the reverends authority in his position, he doesn’t think much about his preaching and the messages he gives, as they don’t seem to relate to God anymore. We have also seen that John often speaks what is truer than he may think. Although some may see John’s honesty as a negative side as it could be offensive, his honesty is in fact showing goodness in his character.
It is in Act 2 that we begin to see John in his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth. The strains in their marriage become apparent and we see their attitudes towards each other. We also meet the character of John Hale, the specialist who is called in to the village to look for any signs of witchcraft. It is whilst John is talking to him that we discover more about John’s faith and his family’s Christian background.
Throughout The Crucible the visual effects of the play indicate a lot about the character’s personality and feelings. In Act 2 the actions help to show the strain in John and Elizabeth’s relationship. In this first scene we see John get up, go to Elizabeth and kiss her. Elizabeth receives the kiss but doesn’t respond, John then returns to the table seeming disappointed. This is then followed by a short and snappy conversation between the two characters. In the audience’s mind it creates a picture of John trying his hardest to make an effort with his wife, perhaps trying to make up for the affair, but getting no response. There seems to be tension between the two, and Elizabeth appears to be a lot less happy with John than he is with her. This scene shows a good side to John, he loves his wife and wants to make up with her; he keeps putting in the effort, but gets no response so we see John as a determined and loving man.
As the snappy conversation between John and Elizabeth develops, the audience sees more tension between the two characters. Eventually the conversation gravitates around Abby, and John’s visit to Salem that day. The audience can clearly make out the rapid decrease in faith in John from Elizabeth; Elizabeth – ‘You were alone with her?’ Proctor – ‘For a moment, aye.’ Elizabeth – ‘Do as you wish then…I see what I see John.’ This passage shows the real reason why Elizabeth has been so abrupt with John; she thinks John went into Salem to meet Abby. This thought means that she loses all faith in John and thinks that he may restart the affair with Abby. John then gets fed up with Elizabeth constantly accusing him, he says ‘I’ll not have your suspicion anymore…I’ll not have it…you forget nothing and you forgive nothing.’ John has tried to be calm with his wife, but he eventually loses his temper with her. He is upset that Elizabeth is implying that he only went to Salem to meet Abby, when in fact it was for business. Some would think that this shows John as a temperamental man, although it also shows that he wants to make it up to his wife and regrets the past.
The argument gradually caries on until it comes to whether John is ashamed or not, Elizabeth enquires, ‘I think you be some what ashamed.’ To which John replies ‘when will you know me woman? Were I stone I would have cracked for shame this seven month,’ Elizabeth – ‘Then go and tell her she is a whore…’ In this passage John tells Elizabeth how ashamed he is of what he has done, he is a good man really, and is honest about his feelings. Elizabeth however quickly reacts, saying that if he really thinks that, he should go and tell Abby. It is at this point that their conflicting perspectives about the affair collide – John knows he is wrong, and wants to move on, but feels that Elizabeth will never forget it, so they wont be able to move on. The passage which shows this is, John – ‘Your spirit twists around the single error of my life, and I will never tear free of it.’ Elizabeth – ‘You will tear free of it when you come to know that I will be your only wife, or no wife at all.’ Elizabeth does love John and just wants him to realise that she is all he will have. The audience can again see the tension between the two, some may feel sympathetic towards John for Elizabeth’s harsh words, others may hold it against John to show his negative sides, as it is his fault he is in this mess.
When Proctor and Hale meet, Hale questions Johns decisions about his three children, ‘How comes it that only two are baptized?’ Proctor – ‘…I see no light of God in that man. I’ll not conceal it.’ We again see John’s negative feelings towards the Church and Rvd Parris. From this we can see more of John’s honest side, he isn’t ashamed of what he thinks and is willing to tell others about his thoughts too. Hale asks John to recite the Commandments, which John does, however he repeats one of them twice. When he does Hale points it out, John agrees but doesn’t correct himself. It is then that Elizabeth adds the commandment he missed out; ‘Adultery, John’ John then pauses and agrees. John appears to have lost his commitment to the Church and teachings, as he knows he has gone against the Ten Commandments. This is an effect put in by Arthur Miller to contrast John’s actions to the teachings of the Bible and ways in which the village lives. John shows his shame at his past sins, so misses them out.
When Elizabeth is accused by Abby of witchcraft, as Abby is said to have seen Elizabeth’s spirit, Elizabeth calmly agrees to go, despite knowing that she has done nothing wrong. However John is strongly opposed to the idea. He knows why Abby is accusing Elizabeth, in order to get to him. John now knows that he needs to prove to the courts that the girls are only pretending to see spirits, and that all the accused are in fact innocent and the girls are the guilty ones. He questions his servant Mary Warren until she admits that it is all an act. John makes Mary promise to confess it in court, which is where we see them in Act 3. This shows John’s honesty and love towards his wife, he wants to stop Elizabeth getting into trouble and only wants Mary to tell the truth.
John is generally controlled and polite in court, which shows that he isn’t an angry man, he behaves in a Christian manner and wont over react. John’s initial plea in court is top free Elizabeth, it then progresses to accusing the girls of witchcraft, Abby in particular; ‘I do sir, I believe she means to murder.’ ‘She only pretended to faint, Your Excellency. They’re all marvellous pretenders.’ These are strong accusations made by John in court, which may not help his case, however he sees it as being an honest man and doing good by speaking his mind and telling the truth, this shows again Johns favourable side. After having made such big accusations, John is questioned about his relationship with Abby, to see how that may have led him to his beliefs, he says, ‘She used to serve me in my house, sir.’ ‘It is a whore!’ This is a courageous move by John, admitting that he has had an affair with Abby; it may change how he is treated, as it is seen as a serious sin. The girls then shift the blame of witchcraft onto John. This is because it becomes apparent that the next person who could be to blame is Abby, so by pretending that they can see John Proctors spirit coming into the Church, they are instantly shifting the blame from themselves. John is initially surprised at the accusations but then decides that the only way he can get out of it is by going along with it, so he ruses out the church and into the river, the entire village follows. When asked what the has to say, he says, ‘I say – I say – God is dead!’ John may feel that everyone and everything is against him, his ideas are ridiculed as he shouts this comment to the entire village. It is the first time in the play that we see John lying. Before he has always spoken his mind and told the truth, but now he isn’t. He may have given up all hope and doesn’t think that telling the truth will do him any good.
The final act shows us more about Johns values in life, when he is asked to sign paper, admitting to witchcraft he becomes aggravated at the thought of losing his name, which is a very important part of his self pride. He says, ‘because it is my name… Because I lie and sell myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of those that hang! I have given you my soul! Leave me my name.’ Although John had decided to admit to witchcraft, of which he is really innocent, he doesn’t see why he should have to tell the whole village. He has already admitted it to the court and in front of God, so he should be left at least his name, the worse has been done. In this passage he also tells the court that he is in fact laying about having been with the devil, he hasn’t and is only saying it to save his life. This may mean that the court won’t accept his statement, and that he will be put to death anyway.
In Act 4 a lot of tension is built up, before the climax of Johns death and the point where the initial statement of this essay comes in. One device used to build up tension is by showing time passing. ‘The sun will rise in a few minutes’ and ‘ the sun is soon up’ build up a tension and speed as the events progress; it is as if it is a rapid build up, of days, until the actual climax. This moves the audience on in the play, they pass time with the characters and are experiencing real life.
Throughout the scene characters constantly enter and leave the stage, many in private discussions, most of which are about Johns options. There is talk of Elizabeth persuading John to confess, which will save him from death, and then other characters enter to explain more options, which John has. Eventually the stage is left with just John and Elizabeth. This builds up tension as it makes the audience emotionally involved. They don’t know which option John will go with, whether Elizabeth will convince him to confess, or what will happen, a rapid change in people creates confusion and a tense atmosphere between those trying to sell each option over to John and, or Elizabeth.
Elizabeth’s manner when she is talking to John also builds up a tension. She won’t tell John what he should do, although she has been asked to by others, instead she leaves it up to John. It is his life so it should be his decision. ‘What say you?’ ‘I cannot judge you John, I cannot’ She doesn’t feel as if it is her right to tell him what to do. This leaves the audience tense; they want Elizabeth to tell John to admit it, to save his life, instead they are kept in suspense, waiting for John’s decision, as Elizabeth is failing to help him with it.
Throughout their small talk, they use many short and exclamatory phrases, ‘Praise God!’ ‘Why, John!’ These help to increase the pace of the act towards the climax, they increase the volume, so therefore the suspense and emotion too.
Sudden silences also build up the tension; the audience want to be inside the characters minds to hear what they are thinking. P107 indicates that ‘The emotion flowing between them prevents anyone from speaking for an instant.’ This quizzes the minds of the audience.
Throughout the play the audience is able to, many years on, relate to the witch-hunts as in a real situation, due to the McCarthy communist witchcraft events. The play is a parable for the McCarthy era, in which similar Witch hunts' occurred targeting citizens as communists rather than disciples of Satan. Therefore the entire story is more ‘alive’ and the audience are able to become more involved.
By the time we get to the climatic moment in Act 4, the audience feels that John has more than just a ‘shred’ of goodness in him. The many methods of tension build up to the climax of John’s decision to admit that he hasn’t in fact been in contact with the devil, and that he is innocent, so will therefore die for it. The quote; ‘You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor,’ creates dramatic irony before his death. The actual goodness in John Proctor has been shown throughout the play in his honesty and openness, whereas the statement says that witchcraft has turned him into a good person. John Proctor has been a good, honest man from the beginning of the play; it was only in Act 3 when he was accused of witchcraft that he was dishonest. This goes against the statement and supports John’s character; he always was a good character and will now die, a good honest man, right with God.