Dramatic Tension In The Crucible

The following sample essay on Dramatic Tension In The Crucible discusses it in detail, offering basic facts and pros and cons associated with it. To read the essay’s introduction, body and conclusion, scroll down.

After seeing performances of Millers other plays (All my sons), it is clear that he uses dramatic tension to great effect, but by reading “The Crucible” we can begin to understand how he creates this tension. Like many other Authors and playwrights Miller uses his writing skills to get his point across about the current political situation.

In this case the McCarthy ‘Witch Hunt’ in 1950’s modern America, Miller himself was accused of being sympathetic to communists which is why we believe in ” the crucible” (set in the Salem, Massachusetts witch hunts of 1692) the character Proctor is Miller himself. Act one at the very beginning of the text is extremely tense as The audience watch reverend Parris sob as his daughter lies in bed seemingly unconscious.

We initially see that Parris is extremely worried about his daughter, this is made obvious when he shouts at his slave Tituba who merely comes to see how Betty, Parris’ daughter is.

Yellow Bird Symbolism Crucible

He shuts her out to have his thoughts to himself but shortly after his niece enters with Susanna (sent by the doctor) These two young girls start the play with one of the main themes, they believe Betty has been cursed, this passage is very tense as suspicion and blame are laid on Abigail “you call this sport? ” then with anger “I saw it! “.

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We understand Parris is very nervous about the wellbeing of his daughter but we wonder why he is taking it so seriously and we realise this is a community obsessed with witches.

The very end of act one creates even more tension, Betty is well again but claims she was cursed by a witch, guilt over- comes the girls after dancing with ‘the devil’ and to get themselves out of trouble they claim they saw many women with the devil. This hysteria starts when Abigail, in an effort to save herself chants “I saw Sarah Good with the devil” This becomes increasingly tense as all the girls in this small room start chanting names, the reverend hale increases the tension by adding irony he says “Glory to God!

It is broken, they are free! ” The audience know the girls are lying just to save them selves, they know if they don’t ‘confess’ they will be hung. The stage directions give us clues to the tension on stage, we are told that the girls are “calling out hysterically” with “ecstatic cries” and that the room is “Rising to great glee” This one short passage has an incredible effect on the whole play as we can see what the girls (Abigail) are really like, and what their motives are.

Throughout the passage they condemn more and more people, but the dramatic tension is not released as the curtain falls on their cries. So we are left with this tension until Act two starts. From the stage directions we can tell there will be a lot of noise on stage, the noise would carry throughout the theatre helping the audience to feel involved as if they are actually there in Salem 1962. A poppet (doll) in Act Two calls the suspicion and tension to the door of Goody Proctor (Mrs Proctor).

The poppet is found on the mantelpiece with a pin through it. Goody proctor is accused of cursing Abigail through this ‘Voodoo doll’. The tension is built up again by the hysteria of the characters, as Cheever finds “A needle! Herrick, Herrick, it is a needle! ” The use of repetition and alliteration in this line, helps to build up the tension. I think Miller uses this needle to symbolise the suspicion thrust into the society by their own interpretation of the bible.

As the audience realise this symbolism (which continues throughout the play) it adds extra depth and meaning to the performance making the play much more engaging. This is not a society where the phrase ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ applies, the blame is suddenly moves to Mary. The stage directions tell us that they all think she is guilty “watching Mary Warren closely” than the accusation is announced “Mary-you charge a cold and cruel murder on Abigail” The alliteration in this line has a profound effect, it is extremely sharp with a cold ring to it.

Shortly after the drama increases as the blame bounces back to Elizabeth and Proctor gets increasingly angry “damn the deputy governor! Out of my house! ” The tension builds up even more as proctor tries to make Mary give evidence in court, but like the end of act one, the audience are left tense as Mary sobs “I cannot, I cannot” Again the use of repetition here, makes the audience want to reach out to Mary Warren Miller writes that the curtain falls on her cries leaving the audience to worry for her.

As in Act One, Abigail is at the fore front being dishonest to save herself. Abigail is happy to lie and pass the blame so she can jump on Danforth and Cheever’s band wagon of McCarthyism. The lie begins with Abigail trying to chance the discussion away from her own guilt claims Mary in the form of a yellow bird is trying to hurt her “(in a genuine conversation with ‘the bird’) Envy is a deadly sin Mary” here we see the lie begin and the other girls keen to move the attention away from themselves join in.

The tension builds as the Girls begin to repeat everything Mary says and Mary becomes increasingly frustrated “(Screaming at the top of her lungs) Stop It” the stage direction here as written by Miller gives you full understanding of Mary Warrens feelings, on stage it would become even more powerful and an audience would be profoundly effected.

Miller releases the pressure when Mary accuses Proctor (Authorial Voice) of being the “devil’s man” the whole court is too shocked to mention the bird again, this release sets up the atmosphere for the end of the play. At the ending of the play Miller’s use of dramatic tension is at a peak, Proctor is in jail and refuses to confess to save him self (Complete comparison to the character of Abigail and the other girls. ) because “God sees my name, God know how black my sins are!

It is enough” the repetition of the word God in this line allows you to understand how devoted the residents of this small town are and backs up Proctor’s point. As a last resort Parris and Hale ask Proctor to confess, Proctor does so but as a last stand to his beliefs he rips the paper into pieces the tension here is increasingly moving as each of the characters make their views known Parris shouts “(hysterically, as though the tearing paper were his life) Proctor, Proctor!

” Hale similarly “man, you will hang! You cannot! ” Proctor speaks to his wife before heading willingly to the gallows. A drum roll starts and continues while Elizabeth “supporting herself against collapse” gives us miller’s thoughts on people discriminated against for being communists it seems Miller think they were right to stand up for what they believe in no matter the costs ” he have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! ” Again the emotive use of god adds power to this statement.

As is Miller’s style the play ends in a cacophony of light and sound “the final drum roll crashes” leaving the audience with a question have I lied to get out of a situation or do I stand up for what I believe in? I hope most leave the theatre thinking the latter. English Coursework 9th January 2003 Stephanie Muzzall 11I Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.