What is the effect on the audience of John Proctors decision in act 4?
How does miller build up tension and drama in this section? How is it
still relevant to a modern audience?
This essay is on the main importance of John Proctors decision and how
Miller builds up a sense of tension (and also drama) throughout Act 4.
I will also mention how relevant the play is in modern day times by
discussing McCarthyism.
Firstly, John Proctors decision in this section is quite simple, sign
the agreement or not. But it is the way that this section influences
the audience that is significant, because it gets the audience more
involved. John has several problems with signing the agreement, for
example in signing the agreement he signs his name away, in other
words he will lose his reputation. We can learn that Proctor values
his name, and sees it as the only thing he has left, apart from
Elizabeth;
“I have given you my soul, leave me my name!”
This shows us, the audience which Proctor although is shown as a stern
man through out the play, in this part he is shown as being emotional
and considers his name as a symbol of self respect. Following on from
the previous point, humiliation is used well to make us feel sorry for
Proctor due to the fact that he is faced with his name and confession
being pinned to the church door, the example of this is, when Proctor
exclaims;
“God does not need my name nailed to the church door”
This helps us strengthen our beliefs that Proctor values his name.
Proctor also has other reasons to struggle with his decision, mainly
because the others involved are what we know as saints; Rebecca and
Martha are very holy people, who believe that they should never lie,
even though the consequences may be as extravagant as death, the two
saints are holding out against the interrogation of Danforth,
therefore John takes it into account that although he is not as holy
as they are, to keep the faith, he must hold out, but, the audience
gets a shock when John considers the agreement, this gives us an
element of surprise and a will he wont he effect, making us watch even
more avildly.
Other influential things that help John make the decision, is the fact
he has a family, he has two boys who he does ask questions about, not
only does he ask about his two boys, but also he asks about his unborn
child and his wife Elizabeth, who he cares for dearly; an example of
Throughout the whole play, John Proctor placed himself as a “servant” of God only and maintained that position regardless of what happened. He represented the image of a person that corresponded for God in Earth, and at the same time he acted consciously and knew what was happening in Salem. In an attempt to disengage from God, his principles, conscience, and morality acted upon him and brought him back to God. Elizabeth and his friends also affected his conscience, as the only reason why he went to the court was to try to release them. John Proctor can be considered the savior of Salem, he can be considered Jesus in that story. His name was important as it was the main reason why he decided to die with dignity instead of live for a lie; but what is the symbolism behind his name? What is conscience and why does John Proctor struggle with his?
In the Crucible, people were continuously accused of doing witchcraft. Those people who were being accused had to either confess or die despite of the truth. Struggling in this moral decision, people began to recoil and lie to others and even to themselves in order to save their lives. Marry, who was first accused of doing witchcraft told the judges that John Proctor was connected to the devil. Obviously, Marry chose to live as a liar. Eventually, It was John Proctor’s turn to decide: to confess and lie or refuse and die. Struggling in a decision that drives people into craziness, John Proctor chose to refuse anything despite of being hanged.
How Shakespeare Engages the Audience in Act I scene v In Act I, scene v, Shakespeare alters the tone of the play into a lighter mood. However, despite this, there is an ominous sense of fate overshadowing the pair of star crossed lovers. Even today, the tragedy resembles a blue print of the problems the young adolescents of the twentieth century face each day. Shakespeare uses a masked ball to create suspense and mystery, as this would have engaged an Elizabethan audience. However the audience already knows what is going to happen due to the Prologue - "Do with their death bury their parents' strife" - but despite this knowledge the anticipation of the events leading to the arrival of these final tragic scenes adds excitement.
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Many kids blame their parents for things like forgetting their lunch or being late to basketball practice and it is not a valid excuse. But when someone has very controlling parents, their parents can be the ones to blame. Therefore, Lord Capulet contributes to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet because he was arranging her marriage and when Juliet didn't want to get married she was threatened by her father. Lord Capulet told Paris, "A Thursday let it be-a Thursday, tell her, She shall be married to this noble earl." (3. 4 23-25). Capulet and Paris were planning the wedding without the consent or presence of Juliet. This angered Juliet because she was already married and she did not want to marry Paris. Another reason why Capulet caused
The primary dramatic focus in the play The Crucible is the moral struggle of its protagonist, John Proctor. Certain characteristics of John Proctor's character and also the environment of the Puritanical Salem alleviated this problem for him. The main issues running through out the play are a series of dilemmas that John Proctor faces. The first and foremost of these is his guilt over his adulterous affair with Abigail Williams, the second his hesitation to testify against Abigail to bring out the truth and the third, his final decision to make the ultimate sacrifice.
In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the madness of the Salem witch trials is explored in great detail. Arthur Miller was an American playwright, who was born in 1915. He grew up in a Jewish family in New York City. While attending the University of Michigan in the mid 1930’s, he began to characterize himself as a distinguished writer. His first plays were Honors at Dawn and No Villain. The Death of a Salesman, which he wrote in 1949, won him the Pulitzer Prize for literature.
In the The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there is a character named John Proctor he’s a farmer and has a wife and two boys. Proctor is a well developed character and is a very important aspect His actions have made him a American Romantic Hero in the story. He died for what he felt was best for his actions and family.
In act 2, scene 4 it shows how Macbeth will do whatever he takes to become King. After killing the King, he is crowned King, but at what costs? Macduff says does not state that bad things will happen but he says, “No, cousin, I’ll to Fife” (2.4.50). This quotation is saying that he knows bad things will happen and he will leave before they do. On my slide I chose a picture of horses. That picture shows the unnatural events that occurred after the death of King Duncan, where the horses ate each other. In another passage from the Old Man, it describes Macbeth’s outcome to the murdering, “A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed” (2.4.15-16). Also, “Make war with mankind” (2.4.22). This vivid description
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As American actor and producer Timothy Olyphant said “Sometimes, people aren't as consciously aware of their decisions as they should be”. This statement also applies to Romeo and Juliet, a play by William Shakespeare. Romeo is often not as conscious of his decisions as he should be. He also weighs his feelings when making a decision more than common sense or reason. This drastically influenced his life, and the wrong turn that it took. The critical choices that Romeo makes are most responsible for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet because he makes his choices based on emotion even when he knows it will end up badly for him, and when he is too ignorant to know.
How does your reputation define you and how do people look at you because of your name? Characters in the story The Crucible, are highly concerned regarding their reputation and name. John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Governor Danforth are all important characters who care about their name in the town of Salem. Each character in the story shows how, through the witchcraft trials, their name and reputation will follow them and even determine their fate. In the The Crucible, John Proctor, Giles Corey, and Danforth prove that reputation can define oneself.