The Crucible

It was interesting reading a play after the other novels. I could almost feel myself getting into character, imitating the speakers and feeling the all emotions. In fact, the involvement I felt reading this play was so strong, I actually had to read it aloud sometimes, as if this was really being performed. I could see the sets, the actors, the drama unfolding as I read. Of course, it was a little difficult reading a three-act play with one voice. And oddly enough, a lot of my characters took on a British accent. Go figure. But The Crucible was fun to read, even though the plot settings were a bit unfamiliar to me.

I thought all the characters in this book were just crazy. They raised panic, told lies, and were all just concerned with their individual statuses and gains. The only person I really admired in this play was Rebecca. She is a smart sensible woman, who would rather not get involved in the witch hunt hysteria and the ever-growing blame game. When Reverend Hale came by to look at Betty and sort things out, Rebecca chose to leave, seeing that insanity could not be too far off. I liked the little character note after her last dialogue in Act One:

She goes out; they feel resentful of her note of moral superiority.

It just shows how influential she is and how much more moral she has than others. When she is jailed after being accused as a witch, she refuses to confess and play that game, and even inspires John Proctor to do the same. So in all, she was probably my favorite.

I thought it was interesting how almost all of Act Three was set in the court room. So of course, this is a very important setting. It’s where a lot, but not all, of the blaming, excitement, and panic takes place. People are under the pressure of the court, and anything they say can be taken as an “attack on the court”. People are driven to tears. Authority begins to change and only those who can avoid the furious questionings and hold a rank of high supreme have it. Such characters include Danforth and Hathorne, the judges presiding over the witch trials, who can pass accusations as attacks on the court, and Abigail, who avoids questions and fakes very realistic “signs” of bewitchment during which she accuses others. The court room is also where John Proctor finally admits to his affair with Abigail, after feeling the pressure too long. This however goes astray when his wife doesn’t back him up, and he himself is arrested. The court room is definitely one drama filled place.

The major theme of The Crucible that I found most occurring was hysteria and its effects on society. The witch trials are basically fueled by hysteria. Neighbors who were once trusted and loved are now being accused of cursing animals, killing babies, talking with the devil, and so much more. The townsfolk can sense the atmosphere of hysteria and eventually accept it. Some even begin to use it to their advantage, no longer as an act of their religious duty, but to express long-held grudges and bottled-up feelings and thoughts about others. This idea is most apparent in the case of Abigail, who decides that by accusing Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and getting her arresting would enable her (Abigail) to win over John Proctor for herself. Another situation is in the arrest of Rebecca Nurse for the supernatural murders of Ann Putnam’s babies, which was an act of Thomas Putnam’s revenge on Francis Nurse, who prevented Putnam’s brother-in-law from being elected as minister. Hysteria can play a huge role in the destruction of a community if it is continued to be taken advantage of, which is exactly what happens in the end.

It’s been quite a busy week for me, but I still found time to enjoy the wonderful writings of The Crucible. Even though it was a little frustrating how manipulative, gullible, and just plain annoying most the characters and situations were in this play, the style and descriptiveness of the play was great. Overall, I thought this was a fun, dramatic book to read.