The Play the Crucible is set in New England Essay Example for Free

The Play the Crucible is set in New England Essay A Crucible is a melting pot in which metals are melted together to form a pure metal. Millers characters represent these impure metals from Danforths eyes, as he came to determine Abigails accusations. Miller allows the reader to see how it was believed that the Bible should be interpreted in one way. This belief made sure that if you interpreted the bible wrongly, you would then have to undergo a thorough investigation. But the investigation Danforth underwent, interpreting if Abigails accusations were true or false was not thorough enough as his misinterpretation led to innocent deaths. In the beginning of the play we can already see that the characters are already being put to the test. Betty, Parriss daughter, is not waking up, will you wake, will you open your eyes? Paris saw the girls dancing naked in the woods. This line is significant as it allows Miller to get into the readers mind and makes them think a million thoughts at once. The reader knows that Paris saw the girls dancing, but now he/she is thinking could the dancing have anything to do with her not waking up, is Paris blaming himself for this because he saw what was going on and didnt stop it before the spell was cast on Elizabeth, which is not known at this point of the novel. Miller not only creates a scene but he builds tension with each and every single line. In this scene tension builds as more and more characters get to know that Betty is not waking up. John Proctor, a father of two boys, a farmer in his middle 30s and a man who made a fool feel foolish in his presence, in this case the fool of the novel was Reverend Samuel Parris. Well Proctors character gets toyed around with and tested in act 2 by Elizabeth Proctor his wife. She has never lied but she loves her husband so much that she will lie for him, when she is asked by Danforth if Proctor has ever committed the crime of lechery (adultery), she tells a lie and says no, sir. This tests Elizabeths character by making her do something she has never done (tell a lie). This test proves to the reader that she loves her husband so much that she will go to the extent of do anything for him, even something she has never done before. Why, then, it is not as you told me, Elizabeth proctor toys around with Proctor in the beginning of Act 2, slowly making him admit to her, that he committed lechery (but he doesnt say he does). The toying around with Proctor that Elizabeth did is an excellent test that shows the reader Proctors limits. We know Proctors limit has been reached as he bursts out and tells her she shouldnt judge him I must have mistaken you for God Let you look for the goodness in me, and judge me not. The questioning of Proctor by Hale in Act 2 is a moment in the reader gets proof of Proctor s deep regret for the sin he had committed. You have said that twice, sir, Proctors failure to complete the reciting of the ten commandments is key as it lets the readers imagination loose. This could be interpreted in many ways but it made me think that he was really ashamed of what he had done, as he knew the commandment but didnt want to say it because he was ashamed of it. The questioning of Proctor during this Act allows the reader to get to grips on Proctors character. So in the contrary Miller constantly put his characters through the process of trying to purify them and make them become perfect in Danforths eyes but had a massive turn around in the end of it all and resulted in death, take his shame away, we have seen how much proctor didnt want his name to be spoilt for his children, what more proof is needed to show the reader that this is a man who loved others more than himself and . He refused to sign away his name and decided to die a man with a good name. Nothing could have changed his mind he had decided on keeping his name. Miller may have formed his pure metal but his crucible had a hole in it and this hole allowed some metals to escape so I guess it wasnt fully a pure metal.