American way of life Essay

Choose one look from The Crucible that you allot being particularly dramatic, exciting or strive. Explain your choice and cover the importance of this scene to the play as a whole.McCarthyism is the term describing a period, 1940s and 50s, when the USA was obsessed with a fear of communists secretly difficult to destroy the American way of life. During this period thousands of Americans were accused of communism and were nonplus on trial, they were asked about their personal lives, friends and political beliefs. They were persuaded to pass on name of communists then they could go free. This is much like the Salem witch trials when apiece of the accused witches were trialed and if they told the court a name of another person they were no longer accused. Rather Miller was trialed in 1956 and refused to tell them any names. He was angry that mass persecution could become hysteria.I have chosen the scene where canful has confessed to his affair with Abigail and now Elizabeth has to tell Danforth if it is true. This scene is very tense because if Elizabeth lies then put-on will hang but if she tells the truth he will live. This is the point in the play that we find out if Elizabeth hush up loves potty and this is also the point that Abigail realises that John doesnt feel anything for her.At the beginning of the scene John and Abigail are told to look away from Elizabeth so they cant give her a sign of what to say.Abigails presence raises tension for John, Elizabeth and everyone else in the room. When Elizabeth enters she is made to stand alone. This distance between the characters is emblematical of the distance in their relationship. At this point Elizabeth is standing alone face Danforth. This is an extremely tense point in the play because Elizabeth is in attend of Johns fate. Elizabeth keeps trying to look at John for a sign. She starts to pause a lot because she still hasnt made her intellect up about what she is going to say. This is very tens e for the audience because they turn in what she should say but Elizabeth doesnt, this is called dramatic irony.Danforth starts to cook angry because Elizabeth keeps glancing at John but Danforth says The answer is in your memory and you need no helper to give it to me. This shows he is getting impatient with her. Arthur Miller shows Danforths elicit by using lots of exclamation marks after Danforths speech. Danforth starts to ask lots of short curt questions very quickly. Elizabeth continues to stall and she starts to get very defensive of John.She says Your honour I in that time I were sick. And I my husband is a good and righteous man. This is a false build up the audience believes Elizabeth is trying to portray John as a good man to begin with she tells Danforth that he has attached lechery. This shows that she is edging towards telling the truth and that she still loves John because she is trying to salve some of his dignity by saying good things about him. This false build up is ended when she starts to talk about things but before she finishes her sentence she changes to a different subject. At this point Elizabeth is equiverating and starts to struggle.Danforth ask Elizabeth straight off To you own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery Danforths anger is shown by not having a question mark well(p) an exclamation mark. This is the climax of the play because Elizabeth now has to give a straightlaced answer and the audience will find out what Elizabeth is going to say. Elizabeth answers (faintly)No,sir shows us that Elizabeth still loves John and we find out that John will be hanged, this stage action shows that she was reluctant to say no. After this John tells her to tell the truth and before the door is shut Elizabeth realises that she has done the reproach thing and says Oh, god Johns fate is now sure but he tries to protest but this has not effect on Sanfords decision that John will be hanged.