Arthur Miller creates the tension Essay

I have chosen to write my essay on a section in Act VI, starting line on page 105 from where Elizabeth Proctor enters, ending just before John Proctor enters at the bottom of page 106. This scene in The Crucible , is a heated dialogue between Deputy-Goernor Danforth, reverend Hale, Reverend Parris, Judge Hathorne and Goodwife Elizabeth Proctor whom the four men are desperately trying to persuade to write her husband, John Proctors life.I chose this scene because it makes clear how Arthur moth miller uses all the means unattached to a dramatist to make a section tense. He creates the extreme strain between the characters and makes the fancy obvious to the reader using manner of speaking devices, the interrogation of characters, pauses, disagreement between characters, stage directions to create images for us to visualise the action, and our previous pick outledge of events and relationships between these characters in particular.The scene is set inside a carrell in Salem jai l. Earlier in Act IV, Miller utilise stage directions to show us how uncomfortable he wished for the room to look. Also as the season is Autumn, Miller described the weather as bitterly cold and told us that the place is in darkness but for the moonlight seeping done the bars.These conditions add to the tension in the scene as characters are much more likely to be irritable and short-tempered if they are cold, especially as it is night time and a prison in darkness would seem very sinister. People often expect bad happenings at night, such as the dancing in the woods at the beginning of the play, which was a forbidden event in the puritan society and had terrible after-effects. Also Abigail when threatening the other girls said,I have seen some reddish trifle done at night. We are therefore already expecting the unexpected due to this imagery and theme of darkness, apply by Miller to create tension with the setting.The tension has already been built up to this section by the ba ckground knowledge that we have from other scenes in the play. Danforth, Hale, Parris and Hathorne are proposing to gain Goody Proctors help in salve her husband from hanging the next morning. We have seen John and Elizabeth alone together and the limited information that we have about their relationship leaves the reader with a questioning mind on how she go away react to John being condemned, and to them wanting her to persuade him into a false confession.Miller has condition us contrasting pieces of evidence as to whether she cares enough about him to be willing to talk to him in Act II we see tension between the couple during their dinner when they were falsely polite and positive to each other, and seemed to have unloving relationship with a lack of trust. However, in Act III Elizabeth lies in an attempt to protect John. Elizabeths hatred for lying is another reason that could lead the reader to doubtfulness if she will agree to speaking with John, especially as she is a r eligious somebody and one of the 10 Commandments is Thou shalt not bear false witness In doing what they wish, Elizabeth would have to persuade another person to lie.Miller has put this scene at this point in the play so it can comply on from the sections that give the reader the knowledge of Elizabeths inner tensions are and how they could affect her descisions we know that Elizabeth is awake(predicate) of her husbands principles, but also that her conflicting emotions will tell her to attempt at saving his life. This doubt of what Elizabeth will do will make the audience increasingly tense, as they know her descision over whether to help is crucial If she agrees to speak with him, John could be saved. However, if she will not speak with him, John will hang the next morning, as there is no-body else who could possibly make him listen and reconsider.The section that I chose starts with Parris saying,Hush, on hearing footsteps. This leaves the room in a tense silence, during whic h the audience will be focused on anticipating what Elizabeth will look like and how she will react to their news of John. Miller uses stage directions to help us visualise Elizabeths appearance- Her clothes are dirty her face is pale and gaunt. Miller also uses this to allude how they whitethorn feel uncomfortable in each others company, by showing us the very diametrical positions they are in. We can see the tension due to this when Danforth begins to speak,(very politely), as this is obviously false.She is silent when he adresses her and the tension increases again when Danforth says,I hope you are hearty?. This could be seen as ironic and sarcastic from how Miller previously presented her to be visibly unwell. However, from what we already know of Danforths character, the reader is more likely to imbibe that he merely said the wrong thing due to not knowing how to handle the cushy situation- this makes the scene even more tense as the most authotitive person doesnt seem to k now what to say. His words could also be interpreted as a deliberate use of informal/coloquial language which can be effective for means of persuasion- Miller could have been making it look as though Danforth was speaking in a controversial way, and trying to make Elizabeth regard him as a friend.However, bouquet from Danforth could just result in making Elizabeth more tense, and suspicious of what they want from her. The silence from Elizabeth could result in making Danforth even more tense, especially if he was already uneasy, due to the fact that he may feel that him being involved is unfair because, as he said himself, twelve are already hanged for the same crime. Miller uses silence many other times within this small section to retrace up tension as we wait for a reaction from a character. Pauses are also used by Miller when a character doesnt know what to say or is being highly careful in their response.