Essay on Dramatic Tension in The Crucible - 4287 Words

Dramatic Tension in The Crucible The play, ‘The Crucible’, illustrates how people react to mass hysteria created by a person or group of people, as people did during the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s and the Salem witch hunts of 1962. Many Americans were wrongly accused of being Communist sympathizers. The activities of the House of Un-American Activities Committee began to be linked with the witchcraft trials that had taken place in the town of Salem. This provided Miller with the catalyst to write ‘The Crucible’. Without the knowledge of the McCarthy hearings and the Salem witch hunts, ‘The Crucible’ may be seen as a melodrama and the events in the play, sensationalised. It is not a melodrama because it is not overly dramatic; the†¦show more content†¦Parris: †¦I saw Tituba waving her arms over the fire when I came on you†¦screeching and gibberish coming from her mouth. Abigail: She always sings her Barbados songs, and we dance.’ They are found out because Parris finds them and jumps out from a bush startling the girls. Betty faints and has not yet recovered, as she is afraid they will be punished. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam enter during Parris’ interrogation of Abigail and we soon learn that Mrs. Putnam delights in others’ misfortunes due to the number she has experienced herself. When she sees Betty lying unresponsive on the bed, she grips on to the idea that witchcraft may have a role in this incident. ‘Mrs. Putnam (full of breath, shiny-eyed): It is a marvel. It is surely a stroke of hell upon you. Parris: No, Goody Putnam, it is- Mrs. Putnam: Why, it’s sure she did. Mr. Collins saw her goin’ over Ingersoll’s barn, and come down light as a bird, he says!’ The way she cuts Parris off while he is speaking, shows her excitement at the possibility of witches. It also shows how she is unwilling to listen to common sense and rationale. Her response indicates to the audience that there is more behaviour like this to come. Mrs. Putnam continues pursuing her idea of witchcraft being present in the town and after a while Parris is forced to go down and reassure and the crowd which is growing outside his house. Now it is just Abigail, Betty and Mary Warren on stage. Abigail tries to wake Betty up andShow MoreRelatedEssay on Dramatic Tension in The Crucible by Miller2946 Words   |  12 PagesDramatic Tension in The Crucible by Miller The Crucible Coursework Excitement, nervousness, stress, anxiety, suspense, unease, and apprehension are all forms of dramatic tension that Miller creates throughout the Crucible. Dramatic tension is created by Miller throughout the Crucible in many ways. Straightaway, the title of the play, â€Å"the Crucible† implies to the audience of the tension that is to come in the play. 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