Arthur Miller creates dramatic tension Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller creates melospectacular tension EssayThe Crucible is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It take time offs when Parris, the local- and rather unpopular- reverend in Salem disc all overs his daughter Betty, niece Abigail and many other young women from the village dancing and chanting in the forest, lead by his slave Tituba. Tituba is from the West In transcends, so has a set of traditions and be double-dealingfs which count onm precise alien to the puritan citizens of Salem. When Betty and another girl multiform in the dancing dont wake up the next day, and just lie in a trance- same state, there atomic number 18 rumours of witchcraft afoot. With the arrival of constrict, an open- minded but overly innocuous witch- hunter, Abby and Tituba claim to have been possessed by the spirits of witches in Salem. Abby, along with roughly other girls, start accusing many people. Those who confess to devil worship atomic number 18 saved those who do not are charge d to be hanged. In coquette, the girls faint, and claim to have terrible pains and see horrific visions, both induced by the witch on trial. Their tactics are powerful, so those conducting the proceedings do not really consider they may be faking.Also, no one dares express sympathy for those charged, for fear of creation accused themselves. As Abby and the other girls become court officials, people are wary of crossing them. Abby is a very overpowering character. She is seventeen and ravishingly beautiful. Whilst working as a maid for Elizabeth monitor, she had an affair with her economize John. Abby still has tinges for him, and consequently despises his wife Goody Proctor. In the forest, she cast a spell to try and wipe out her. The affair has created a lot of tension between the married couple, and it seems John has never quite won back his wifes trust.When the couples maid, bloody shame warren, reveals that Elizabeths name has been mentioned in court when witchcraft was being discussed, Goody Proctor is dread(a) for John to appeal to the court before she is formally charged. This is be apparent motion Abby revealed to Proctor there was no witchcraft involved in Bettys trance-like state, claiming, She just took fright, is all. Proctor is a highly passionate man, who can be hot-headed. He has to sound with the terrible guilt of his affair, which he greatly regrets.He still has feelings for Abby, but he is too shamed of his weakness in character to do anything about them, seeing what the initial affair did to his relationship with his wife. He still loves Elizabeth, but succumbed to the beautiful girl who had been a temptation to him whilst his wife was ill. When Hale arrives at their field of operations to question the couple, Proctor questions Hale to see whether he has considered the fact the girls might be lying, and reveals what Abby told him. This appears to send Hale into turmoil. Before Proctor has a chance to make an official complaint, C heever arrives with an arrest warrant for Elizabeth.She is one of sixteen arrested, along with other respected women like the godly Rebecca Nurse. Giles Coreys wife, Martha, is arrested because he informed Hale he give it difficult to pray when she was reading. Proctors servant Mary knows Abby is making false accusations, so he forces her to tell the court officials of this the next day. Act Three takes place in a courtroom. It is the site where many have been condemned to die and many horrific accusations have been made, so there is already an ominous atmosphere. It is then that we are introduced to Danforth, a court judge with a very rigid view.Proctor, Corey and Frances Nurse, husband of the condemned Rebecca, are all anxious to audition their wives innocence. Mary Warren has come to admit she was faking, but she is petrified about speaking out against Abby and the possible consequences. When it is revealed Elizabeth is pregnant, and thence will not be hanged for around a year at least, Proctor is given the pickaxe of accepting this and doing no more. However, he feels he has to save the others who have been charged as well. To Danforth, this seems to suggest Proctor is just trying to undermine the court rather than just save his wife, as he initially claimed.To us, it is order of Proctors bravery and moral sense. Hale, who has in the past acted quite righteously and tried to root out witches, in the long run sees that Abby may be lying. He decides to support Proctor, which might put pressure on Danforth to accept that some of the condemnations were untrue. If Danforth admits this, however, he will be publicly disgraced, as he will be seen as obligated for the deaths of many frank citizens, based on juvenile, callous accusation. The climax of the scene is brought about by Abbys quick- thinking.She is alleviate when Elizabeth lies about the affair, and sees the moment as her chance to turn the situation to her favour. She, and subsequently the other girls, claim to see a discolor bird, possessed by the spirit of Mary Warren. Abby does this to pressurise Mary into lying again, to quash being condemned as a witch. The scene becomes highly charged as Proctor and the others struggle to change Danforth the girls are faking, Abby becomes more hysterical and Mary is in a dilemma about whether she should listen to her conscience and risk being condemned or lie to save herself. There is conflict between Mary Warren and Abby.Before all the witchcraft incidents, Abby was very dominant in her relationship with Mary, possibly resenting the fact Mary took her job when Elizabeth discovered the relationship between Abby and John. As Mary is used to be treated like an inferior, she is scared to speak out against Abby. Abby seems to be the more intelligent and powerful of the two, and Mary is afraid that if her claim against Abby is deemed a lie, then Abby will find a way to get back at her. distortness is created as Mary is under pressure from Proctor to admit she and the other girls lied and contributed to the execution of innocent villagers.In contrast, Abby is desperate for Mary to keep lying to avoid being exposed. As the audience, we are tense to see if Mary will overcome or succumb to the peer pressure. When Abby claims to see a yellow bird, this forces Mary into a decision to support her rather than Proctor. She is close to being tried as a witch and has to find a way to shift the blame, which is basically the foundation of all the trials. There is also a sense that her will is simply overpowered by Abbys will. The characters in this scene are all very important, and all contribute to the tense atmosphere.There is lots of conflict between them, causing a feeling of suppressed emotions that are being forced out. In particular, there is conflict between Proctor and Abby, and this is obscure by the fact that we know that Proctor is both physically attracted to and yet hates Abby. When Proctor admits to the aff air he has so strenuously kept secret before, it shows the depth of the battle between him and Abby. Miller uses dramatic derision in this scene. We, as the audience, know that Proctor, Corey and Nurse are telling the truth and so we see by dint of Abbys act and want the truth to prevail.However, characters such(prenominal) as Hale and Danforth have no evidence every way, but are perhaps pre-disposed to believe Abby as they have executed people on her intelligence service (and would lose face if it became known she was lying). Miller plays with us, and builds up the tension, by alternately giving us cause to trust that the truth will be revealed and to fear that it will not.For example, there are times when we are led to hope that Danforth will give credit to what he is told by Mary, as, contrary to what Parris advises, he does memorize her out, and, in response to Parris immediate denunciation, states, it strike hard upon me that she will dare to come here with such a tale. S imilarly, there are times when Hales response gives hope. He admits to always having had doubts about Abby. However, we lose hope when Danforth orders that those who signed Giles petitions must all be arrested, when Abby convincingly protests her innocence, and when the girls claim to be affected by witchcraft. Proctors dramatic revelation of his adultery with Abby looks at one point as if it may sway Danforth, but our hopes are dashed when Elizabeth denies he is a lecher, believing she is doing so in his best interests.When Mary is won over by Abby, we see that Abby has decisively triumphed. After the drama of the girls hysteria, we are left feeling deflated. To conclude, Miller uses a variety of tactics to create tension. He uses theatre techniques like dramatic irony to do so. The remote characters are also a major contributor. The scene is a battle between good and evil, and the unendingly changing winning side makes us tense. There are moments where everything looks hopeful b ut then the evidence is turned around to go against what it proves.