Arthur Miller’s. ‘The Crucible’ has been written in a contrite style using four definite acts but uses a naturalistic style to show that the events in Salem occurred as a result of the natures of the characters. Miller does not use any narrative techniques such as monologues, which adds to the naturalistic feel of the play because the audience are not directly involved in the production.
Miller has written ‘The Crucible’ as a combination of both episodic and continuous drama. The time span stretches over the space of 3 ¼ months, with 4 very different locations within the town of Salem. Miller writes each act within a new location to show the changing of time (at least one week between each act).
However, Within each of the 4 acts the action is continuous, this allows Miller to create tension and suspense gradually. This continuous style helps the audience to identify with the different characters, which is most easily shown through the character of John Proctor. By building up his character throughout Act 4, the audience can relate to and understand his actions in ripping up the warrant. If the action had been broken, the audience would not have fully perceived his actions.
The Term Paper on "The Crucible" By Arthur Miller. Act 4 Analysis. "What Is Your Final Impression Of Proctor?"
At the end of Act four in Arthur Miller’s allegorical tale, ‘The crucible’, the play reaches its final and conclusive climax. John Proctor is forced by his conscience, his reason and the authority to reach a decision. On this decision balances his life, his reputation and his soul. The audience and Proctor’s own conscience will either brand him a coward or a hero depending ...
During ‘The Crucible’ pace is used as a technique to creating tension. Throughout Act 1, the action is immediate and there is a constant flow of different people being introduced. By placing this within a small room, Miller gives the feeling of the characters being suffocated and a lack of privacy in the village. By juxtaposing this with Act 2 (for the first half there is only Elizabeth and John), Miller is able to create tension through the amount of space in the set, in comparison to the previous act, and through a slower dialogue.
Arthur Miller uses inserted passages of prose in which he comments on the background of the story or the characters which helps the reader to get a deeper insight into the characters so they can be related to. For example, The background to Thomas Putnam makes his actions seem more horrendous and inexcusable which ultimately the final result of the play seem more brutal.
Miller has written the play chronologically following the path of time. The changing of time is shown most easily through Elizabeth Proctor’s pregnancy and the number of hangings and confessions that have occurred. Miller uses exposition to make past events seem clearer such as, the girls dancing in the forest and by referral to these events by different characters, the audience can build up an image of what occurred without the need for a flashback. This helps the audience follow the production and ensures that tension is not lost.
Miller structures the play using prevalent techniques. There is a clear exposition at the beginning of Act 1, although it has previously occurred off scene, the girls dance in the forest. The different themes are developed and the use of the rising of action through the accusations helps the plot to grow up to an inevitable climax when John Proctor is accused at the end of Act 3. The falling action and the denouement is the actual execution where John Proctor upholds his innocence and goes to the gallows at the end of Act 4. Miller uses these techniques to help create conflict to arouse the interest of the audience and an easy structure for the audience to follow.
The Essay on In Arthur Millers Play The Crucible The Small Twn F
In Arthur Millers play The Crucible, the small twn f Salem is engulfed in hysteria due t the accusatins f children that many f the twnspeple partk in witchcraft. The bk des nt incrprate many characters; the plt f the stry evlves arund nly a few peple. In this essay I will discuss the tw f them, which I think play the crucial rle in the whle stry. ne f the accused in the witchcraft peple is Jhn ...
[Graph to show the building of tension throughout the play.]
However, Miller structures the play so within each Act there is a sense of this technique. In Act 1, the exposition occurs when the girls dance in the forest, the rising action through the affair between John and Abigail to the ultimate climax with the girls confessing. Miller uses this technique to create a story within each act but having each act explained with the context of the play.
[Graph to show the building of tension throughout Act 1]
By acting in the play ‘The Crucible’ and working for long periods of time on certain acts, I found that by having each act as a story itself it helped create anxiety and was easier for the audience to understand the cause of the hysteria. However, in creating a story within an act, tension is often lost between each act as the play grows. Miller tries to stop this occurring by introducing subplots, such as the rivalry between Thomas Putnam and Giles Corey, which are built upon in each act, to ensure that a web is weaved to the final climax.
Miller uses a variety of techniques to ensure that tension is not lost and is kept at a peak throughout the play. By using a basic form and structure, The Crucible is easy to follow and uses the dialogue and pace to aid the building of tension to the ultimate climax’s at the end of each Act and the end of the play.
