The_Crucible_Notes

17a) People of Salem have the right to fear the proceedings of the court because Governor Danforth calls upon anyone who has been found on suspicious acts and that anyone can be targeted as the next person held in jail ready to be hanged. He fails to investigate evidence thus resulting in the society of Salem to break up. The people fear the court also because of the unjust trials which Danforth has placed upon innocent lives. However, Dandforth claims that no innocent person should fear the court if they know they are innocent. Abigail constantly accuses more and more women which are then reported to Danforth and is charged with witch-craft. 17b) When the population of Salem’s dominant emotion of fear is at it’s peak, the concept of belonging tied together the girls through fear of being found out and fear of exposing their leader, Abigail. The constant lies that the girls tell are told to protect the strength of the girls and the power that they hold over others. However, in the Proctor family, the concept of belonging is divided by Abigail but the impact of Abigail’s lies later in the play lead to the family reuniting. Proctor now stands up for Elizabeth by standing up for what he believes in even if it separates him from his religious community. When Proctor stands up for his beliefs, the role of Mary Warren who, for a moment, sees the truth but then reverts her story because of her fear against the girls. Where Mary Warren exclaims, “Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more” when she gave in to Abigail’s pressure on the girls to support her version of events. The girls would do anything to not just belong to the community but to a group in the community. They fear the need to belong. 19b) Miller creates hysteria in the scene by having a prior scene where it is very serious and almost getting to a breaking point in cracking out the truth. The scene before the bird scene is where the truth has been uncovered about Proctor’s lechery. Abigail cannot seem to not have the attention on her for a short while. When the bird scene begins, Miller has placed Abigail starting off ‘with a weird, wild, chilling cry’ and screaming up to the ceiling. No one knows at that instant what is happening. This sudden even creates the exaggeration or uncontrollable emotion in the air which has everyone puzzled. The emotions played by Abigail also create the build up of tension through her ‘pointing with fear’ and ‘raising up her frightened eyes’ and ‘awed face’. The girls also join in but after a delay. With so many people doing the same thing, it is hard to believe that it is not real. After the number of girls mimicking the actions of Abigail, Hathorne, Hale and Putnam are also in awe and fright. The tension heard in the voice of Danforth conveys the fear and hysteria being experienced by not only just him but everyone else in the room who does not know what is going on. He questions Abigail endlessly trying to comfort her and lower the hysteria built up in the room and find out what is happening. Miller allows Abigail to play very dramatic and overdone acting of being ‘transfixed’, ‘whimpering’ and ‘open-mouthed’. He continuously questions the girls but they are too busy being in wonder. Miller allows the hysteria to heighten by allowing not just Abigail to speak about the bird but other girls to have their own lines so that the text is more convincible. With the group of girls belonging together, it creates a strong force of power and that they are in charge of what is happening and what can be seen, heard and told. Abby then calls out Mary Warren’s name. Mary screams with paranoia and hysteria and can not take it anymore but Proctor is there for her and tries to comfort her. However, Mary then can not go through it any longer and calls out that Proctor is the Devil and he tried to get Mary to sign her name in the Devil’s book. Danforth and Proctor are astonished at what just happened and Proctor sense the paranoia from Mary as she runs and joins the girls’ comfort.