Dramatic irony is a technique used in a number of different plays/styles. It is when the audience knows something that the actor of actress on stage doesn’t know. A perfect example of this is the classic ‘he’s behind you’ scene found in almost all pantomimes. However, in complete contrast to the pantomime scene it creates tension within the play. This is because the audience feels that what they know may come out at any moment with resounding consequences. Miller uses dramatic irony throughout The Crucible in all manner of places.
One of these times is when John seasons the stew. The audience know that John seasoned the stew and then complimented Elizabeth on it, “It’s well seasoned.” This shows that John is obviously trying to please Elizabeth, which suggests to the audience that everything isn’t quite as happy and ordinary as might first appear. The audience know about John’s meeting with Abigail and this gives them an idea as to the cause of this discontent.
This idea of dramatic irony is also used in other places, such as John’s conversation with Abigail. Elizabeth doesn’t know all the details of this discussion shown by her saying “Why, then, it is not as you told me”. This indicates that John is being deceitful, or stretching the truth, suggesting that Elizabeth has a reason to be suspicious of John when Abigail is concerned.
Although the use of dramatic irony does create suspense and tension within the play I don’t feel that it is as good at creating the atmosphere as some of the other methods. It relies on them (the audience) picking up on the fact that the performers don’t know what the audience do. Dramatic irony is a subtle way of showing the hostility.
Another technique, which helps to create this sentience of tension and conflict, is that of the stage directions. These are the notes provided by the playwright, in this case Arthur Miller, in order to help the actor or actress play their role realistically. The stage directions from the Crucible help to add to the tension and conflict within the play because the performer knows how they should react to certain situations they find themselves in. There are many different examples of the stage directions causing and amplifying the tension between John and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and John are shown to be very separated, shown by “It is as though she would speak, but cannot … a sense of their separation arises.” This shows that John and Elizabeth feel awkward around each other. Elizabeth is also afraid of John; she fears saying what she truly believes. This links into the Puritan views about divorce. Although John has had an affair there is no chance of a divorce and Elizabeth is maintaining her role as his wife. Additionally there are links into The Crucible as a trial; John is struggling with the trial within his relationship.
The stage directions help to portray the sense of tension and conflict visually. It also makes the pressure more obvious than that of dramatic irony. For this reason I feel that it helps to create the atmosphere better.
At the beginning of each act Miller provides information for people who wish to stage The Crucible. This information contains descriptions as to how the scene should look e.g. at the beginning of act 1 Miller tells us that it is in “a small upper bedroom” and that “A candle still burns near the bed, which is at the right. A chest, a chair and a small table are the other furnishings.” This helps the people who produce the scenery to create a suitable setting for each act of the play. Miller also provides sound effects throughout the play such as “a psalm is heard being sung below”. These sound effects help to enhance the audience’s perception of what is happening around what they can see.
Both the setting and the sound effects help to create a sense of tension and conflict. This is due to the fact that everything is quite plain and drab, and that there are very few sound effects. The lack of anything interesting in the scenery makes the audience concentrate on what is happening on the stage and what the characters are doing. The lacks of sound effects ensure that the audience listen to the dialogue between Elizabeth and John.
The Proctor’s living room, the setting for Act 2, is very plain. This is shown by “It is the dark, dull, and rather long living room of the time.” The fact that it is “dark” and “dull” help the audience to focus in on the action. Also because it is “dark” even if there is anything to be seen it is harder to see it so people would watch the performers. Additionally the fact that it is “long” means that the back of the room is harder to see ensuring that all the audience are thinking about is the conversation at the front of the room. John saying “It’s winter in here” also shows the fact that the room is very drab and boring. The use of the word “winter” has a double meaning. It refers to the bareness of the room, similar to that of trees in winter, but also the coldness of Elizabeth shown to John.
The lack of elaborateness in the setting and in the sound creates and amplifies the tension that can be felt in the room. It also makes every word said seem clearer and harsh in the quietness. The setting and sound is a good technique because it can be very obvious, but also subtle, helping to create the mood that Miller feels is right for the act.
The language used also helps to create the sense of tension and conflict. The words and structures that Miller uses help to show the underlying conflict within the Proctors house. For example at the beginning of Act two lots of very short sentences are used, such as “Oh, you’re done then”, “Aye”, and “I am”. These short sentences lack any detail that might possibly lead to trouble or cause a conflict. This means that the audience would pick up on the underlying tension between them. However the short sentences could also just be disinterested family chat showing that, despite John’s affair, the Proctors are carrying on as usual.
Miller also gives John and Elizabeth’s conversation awkward pauses as well as rushes of conversation. This is shown by “There is a pause” but also “[John] How may that mouse frighten you, Elizabeth? You – [Elizabeth] It is a mouse no more”. The awkward pauses show that they are both finding it hard to find things to talk about and are trying to avoid certain subjects. The fact that the conversation does not flow easily shows that there is a lot of tension felt between them. However the fact that there are rushes of conversation also shows that they both have strong views about what the other does.
Another way that the language affects the feeling of tension is by the actual lines said by the actor and actress playing John and Elizabeth. For instance it is clear from the lines said by Elizabeth that she is still very suspicious of John, “What keeps you so late? It’s almost dark”. Elizabeth is suspicious of John and wants to know where he’s been and why he is so late returning home. The audience realise that this is because of what happened with Abigail. John “comes into a court every time I come into this house” showing that Elizabeth leaves no stone unturned in finding out what he has done and where he has been. This links into the idea of The Crucible as a trial within John Proctor’s relationship. There is a need within his relationship for forgiveness; both parties need to forgive and forget.
I feel that the language is one of the best ways of showing the tension between John and Elizabeth. Although it does need to be thought about it isn’t as subtle as dramatic irony meaning that most people will pick up on the tension between them from the structure and words that Miller has chosen.
The scene links into the general theme of intolerance within the play. Due to the theocratic puritan society in which the play is set it is impossible for anything new ideas to be introduced to the community. Anything that went against the puritanical doctrine was immediately branded as heresy so removing it from the community. Also heresy was seen as being satanic; the work of the devil. This intolerance is shown particularly during Rev. Hale’s questioning of Proctor. During this inquisition one of the most important parts of heresy comes from Elizabeth. This is when she denies the existence of witches. This then links into act III when Danforth says “a person is either with this court of he must be counted against it.” Elizabeth denying the existence of witches is seen as being against the court as she is not with it. The witch trials themselves represent intolerance and the hanging of witches is seen as the cure to restore the community’s purity.
Another of the major themes, which this scene links into, is that of hysteria. This also links into the historical context of the play; McCarthyism. By the end of the act hysteria has set in on the town of Salem. People try to save themselves by convicting others. However it isn’t just self-preservation which leads some to some of the convictions; lots of people attempt to settle personal quarrels. Abigail, Reverend Parris and Thomas Putnam all manage to settle some of their personal quarrels by condemning others as witches. This is similar to what happened during McCarthyism. Those who found themselves before the HUAC accused their own friends and neighbours in an attempt to escape from their own accusations. However some people, such as the initiator of the “hunt” Joseph McCarthy, also used it to try and settle personal quarrels.
By the end of the scene the audience should be feeling very worried and tense. Everything is beginning to get out of hand by the end of the act. These are the same thoughts and feelings, which were being felt within the American public at the time of McCarthyism. All of the afore mentioned methods help to create a perfect sense of tension. When they are all combined it means that the atmosphere is created holistically so that all the senses can be used to experience it.
