The Crucible Structure

The Crucible Inside every piece of poetry or drama, there was always a beginning, middle, along with an end at least according to Aristotle. The 3 divisions are also called the Three-Act Structure which was developed by Aristotle, and was also altered by Aelius Conatus, a Roman, who proceeded to call the beginning protasis, the middle epitasis, and the end catastrophe. The Three-Act Structure has gained more reputation in recent years through cinema blockbusters, as well as hit TV shows. The Five-Act Structure is the Three-Act Structure but drawn out. The Five-Act Structure still has the beginning, middle, and end, but in more detail with having an exposition in the beginning, a rising action, and a climax in the middle, with the end

In the traditional structure, the exposition is usually act one but for The Crucible it begins in act one and continues in act two, where the play shows us the time and setting of the story and introduces the main characters, as well as the conflict. The conflict arises when Abigail and some other girls danced in the woods, and two of the girls fell “ill.” Abigail denied it was witchcraft when she said, “Uncle, the rumor of witchcraft is all about; I think you’d best go down and deny it yourself.” Act two culminates with the inciting incident, the choice which determines the outcome of the play. The outcome is in motion when Elizabeth Proctor gets arrest, and John Proctor swears, “I will bring you home. I will bring you home soon.” The climax happens in act three where John Proctor goes to court to save Elizabeth and admitted to Judge Danforth that he had had an affair with Abigail when he proclaimed, “I have known her sir. I have known her.” The falling action happens right after John has declared that he had known Abigail in act three when Elizabeth went to save John’s good name when she answered Judge Danforth question of “Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher!” Elizabeth replied with, “No, sir.” With Elizabeth’s lie, she unintentionally doomed