The Crucible

1
The Crucible

• Act II

2
Setting

• Act II takes place in Proctors house, 8 days
  after the girls were caught in the woods

3
Diction

• Millers words are carefully chosen to illustrate
• Marital strife He gets up, goes to kiss her,
  kisses her. She receives it.
• Tension Its winter in here yet.
• Mistrust (between John and Elizabeth, and within
  the community)
• Fear
• Hysteria the towns gone wild.

4
Allusion

• Abigail brings the others to the court, and
  where she walks the crowd will part like the sea
  for Israel.
• Miller chooses Biblical allusion (very religious
  society)
• The Israelites were Gods chosen ones
• Demonstrates Abigail and the other girls power
  in the community

5
Symbolism

• The poppet
• Similar to a voodoo doll
• Young girls could have them women could not
• Abigail is the puppeteer here. She is making
  all the calls. Her use of Mary Warren, and the
  doll, demonstrate her intellect and her evil
  nature

6
Characterization John Proctor

• John knows the fraud of the girls. But,
  because he feels like a fraud himself, he has a
  hard time pushing for truth.
• However, when Elizabeth is accused, he cant
  stand to see someone truly pure taken for a
  witch
• His strength comes from his will to save his
  wife.
• Does this make up for his adulterous behavior?

7
Characterization Mary Warren

• Initially, Mary is described as weak and naïve.
• Earlier she believed they should fess up to the
  dancing and be done with it.
• Now she has been totally drawn in The Devils
  loose in Salem, Mr. Proctor, we must discover
  where he is hiding!

8
Characterization Mr. Hale

• Hale is beginning to feel guilt- for causing or
  pushing the madness?- He is different now- drawn
  a little, and there is a quality of deference,
  even of guilt about his manner now.
• He seems to want to believe Proctors truth and
  evidence
• He cant believe Rebeccas role then nothings
  left to stop the whole green earth from burning.

9
Theme Vengeance

• Ill tell you whats walking in Salem- vengeance
  is walking in Salem.
• Abigail wants John- at any cost
• Mrs. Putnam wants retribution for her the death
  of her babies

10
What are the witches doing?

• Giving people the chills
• Making people hold their breath
• Cause people to hear things
• Mumbling
• They dont know their commandments
• They are signing their names in Lucifers book
  (in blood!)

11
Seriousness of the crimes

• Court has been formed
• Judges have come from Boston- because the little
  town cant judge itself? Because the village
  folks are too primitive, naïve?
• Those found guilty will be HANGED.

12
Proof

• What is the proof?
• All accusations and, eventually, judgments will
  be made on the testimony of people who saw and
  interpreted events.
• Is this just?

13
Tally of Witches

• At the end of Act II,
• 42 have been arrested
• 1 confessed (Goody Good)- accused by Tituba the
  first day
• 1 set to hang (Goody Osburn)- also accused by
  Tituba the first day