Tension in Arthur Millers The Crucible Essay - 991 Words

Tension in Arthur Millers The Crucible Though The Crucible is set against the background of the Salem witch trials in 1629, it reflects the McCarthy anti-communism trials of 1950s America. The citizens of Salem (Massachusetts) had Puritan beliefs and were very religious. Due to their strong Christian beliefs, there was a great fear that people could form compacts with the devil and they even believed witchcraft and supernatural events really existed. Arthur Miller describes the mass hysteria which hit Salem to establish to the audience the vulnerable, narrow-minded personalities of the characters, by their height of paranoia and level of anxiety. This obvious breakdown in Salems Puritan social†¦show more content†¦This kind of language would not have been used in a Puritan society, which immediately gains the audiences attention. Proctor: I will curse her hotter than the oldest cinder in hell. The fury and heat of Johns words increasingly become dynamic as it expresses his anger. The threat makes the audience picture hell and it links with the hatred and rage John feels for Abigail at this point in the play. The argument is built to a climax through the intensity of the dialogue and the anger expressed. The row between John and Elizabeth comes to a sudden end by the dramatic entrance of Reverend hale. Quite suddenly as though from the air a figure appears in the doorway. This unexpected entrance adds to the excitement of the scene, and increases the suspense. Proctor: (still in shock) Why Mr Hale! Good evening to you, sir. By using the word why we can clearly see that John is surprised and acutely embarrassed to see Mr Hale, because he has just arrived when the argument was at its peak. The suspense mounts rapidly, because the audience are curious to know how much of the argument Hale has heard. In addition they would also be wondering what brings Hale to the Proctors home. The timing of Giles Corey and Francis Nurses entrance is ironic because they appear with the news of GoodyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Tension in Act One of Arthur Millers The Crucible1236 Words   |  5 PagesTension in Act One of Arthur Millers The Crucible Miller builds up the tension using theatrical effects, language, the relationships of characters and the plot development, the structure of the act. He makes us visually aware of the tension using these tools. He needs tension as the story of the crucible is about witchcraft. Miller draws in the character of Proctor as himself, as Miller was caught up in communism in America and fought to maintain his dignity, as ProctorRead MoreThe Crucible Film Analysis1735 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1996 film adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible tells us far more about what modern society thinks the puritans are, than what the historic realities were. 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