Conflict and Tension Between The Proctors in The Crucible

How Does Millar Create a Sense of Tension and Conflict Between John and Elizabeth Proctor at the Beginning of Act 2?

Arthur Miller was borne on the 17th of October 1915 in New York City. Miller believed that tragedy was not confined to the rich and important but that the ordinary man’s failure was just as moving and terrible. The play ‘The Crucible’ was first produced in 1953 in the middle of the McCarthy political witch hunt in America. Millar decided to write the play as an allegorical text and a parallel between the two events.

The activities of the committee began to be linked in Miller’s mind with witchcraft trials which had taken place in the town of Salem 2 centuries before, for example, the committee often had in its possessions lists of people at various meetings, and yet it still wanted the witnesses to name names. Miller saw these public confessions as parallels wth the naming of names in 1962.

Since 1938 an organization called the Un-American Activities Committee had been in existence in America. This had the power to investigate any movement or person who apparently posed a threat to the safety of the state. Under the chairmanship of Senator Joseph McCarthy the committee became almost paranoid in the searching out of the communist sympathisers amongst the American people in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.

There are a lot of ways in which Arthur Miller develops John Proctor's character during the play. Miller uses The Crucible to express his own views on what was happening in America at the time when McCarthyism was at a prominence. He uses John Proctor as he is interested in the person who doesn't allow himself to be caught up in hysteria but thinks for himself and stands up for his values agai...

... middle of paper ...

...n the play.

In conclusion I think that the stage directions and dramatic irony are significant to the play, and without them there would be no need for a lot of the events that happen in the play.

I believe that Abigail is a key figure in the play, and the cause of many of the conflict and tension throughout the play. Without her yearning, and need and willingness to do anything for John Proctors love, and her lies and allegations there would be no need for a lot of the play. Without Abigail there would not have been any level of affair and there would be no tension or love loss between John and Elizabeth Proctor.

Concerning the Proctors, in my opinion they always did and always would have loved one another, and if it where not for Elizabeth’s honesty, John may have lived and the two of them may have gone on loving one another for the rest of their days.