ipl-logo

Essay Analyzing The Crucible's Dramatic Structure

702 Words3 Pages

Analyzing The Crucible’s Dramatic Structure

Aristotle believed that drama and poetry should have an unmistakable beginning, middle, and end. Originally, it was a three-act structure, but in the following years this view of Aristotle’s was expanded to include more divisions in a five-act structure. This new format for drama, known as Freytag’s Pyramid, gives each act a purpose, helping the audience progress from exposition to resolution. Though The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is only a four act drama, the play can still fit into Freytag’s Pyramid by applying more than one element to an act.

An exposition introduces the characters, setting, and problems that are currently taking place. In Act I of The Crucible, the stage is set in Salem, …show more content…

It also begins to elaborate on the themes introduced in the exposition. The rising action typically begins in the second act, but The Crucible is an exception and it begins at the end of Act I, when Betty and Abigail begin accusing women of witchcraft. Act II is when all of the chaos and madness stirs about. The innocent, unwilling to fall to such foolishness, become victims as they are accused by the weak, who are afraid of being accused, or by evil-spirited people seeking revenge. As the accusations progress on through the story, Elizabeth Proctor was accused by Abigail, who was driven by greed. John Proctor, though hesitant at first, was pushed to his limits and admits to the crime of adultery in hopes to save his wife, but that plan was not successful. Now known as a sinner, Proctor faces even more wrath from the court and his peers.

The turning point of the play is known as the climax. It involves a dramatic change and is usually the most intense part of the play. In The Crucible, the turning point occurs at the end of Act III when John Proctor announces that God is dead. His words shocked all of Salem and showed a change from Proctor being a godly man to being one who doubts his own faith. Now at the penalty of being hanged, John Proctor must decide his

Show More
Related

  • Who Is To Blame In The Crucible

    533 Words  | 3 Pages

    Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. During this time, many people are hung for being accused of performing witchcraft, but who is there to blame? During this time, many people feared for their lives, and others used this as a time to get rid of people. In The Crucible, Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Deputy-Governor Danforth are responsible for the witch trials in Salem. The play begins with many girls dancing in the woods and people being accused of witchcraft.

    Read More

  • How Did Hale Change In The Crucible

    990 Words  | 4 Pages

    Channeling Change The Crucible by Arthur Miller was modeled after the Puritanical society during the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692. Innocent people, such as Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor were falsely accused and condemned of witchcraft. The aftermath of the trials affected the children, cattle, crops, and the reputations of the accused.

    Read More

  • John Proctor A Tragic Hero Essay

    1218 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the play, confessions and court decisions lead to the termination of accusations of witchcraft. John Proctor also helped to end the hysteria by coming forward about what was actually

    Read More

  • The Crucible Book Report Essay

    686 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Crucible” is a fiction story that took place in a small town called Salem in the state of Massachusetts in 1692 during the spring time. The plot of this story is about a group of girls who went into the forest led by a black slave named Tituba. They were all dancing in the forest until Reverend Parris caught them dancing in the forest and even saw one of the girl naked. Parris’s daughter Betty who was there in the forest falls into a coma-like state when Reverend Parris caught them. Reverend Parris only noticed his daughter was sick the next day and accused Abigail William, who is Reverend Parris’s niece, of witchery and caused his daughter to go into a coma-like state.

    Read More

  • Dbq Essay On The Crucible

    553 Words  | 3 Pages

    The times back then were terrible. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953 about The Salem Witch Trials of 1692.McCarthyism was the “witch hunt” for the communist in 1953.the parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism are naming names,lack of proof ,and reststance. The first reason they are parallel is because of naming names. Hollywood director Elia Kazan went in front of the HUAC twice. The first time he did not confess and names.

    Read More

  • Cause And Effect Of The Crucible

    794 Words  | 4 Pages

    A crucible is known as a very severe situation, or a trial. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem experienced a crucible when they went through the witch trials. The trials became so severe that innocent people were dying in ways such as hanging or having boulders placed on them. The Crucible got its name from the trials, the impact it had on society, and other after effects of the trial.

    Read More

  • John Proctor Honest Analysis

    566 Words  | 3 Pages

    Then, John was accused of witchcraft. He was given the choice to tell the truth and be prosecuted or confess to a crime he didn’t commit and be set free. He chose to tell the truth and got sent to jail. During this time, he said “... what is John Proctor? I think it is honest” (page 138).

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Essay On The Crucible

    630 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shawn Jande Ms. Clancy American Literature B3 15 November 2015 The Crucible Analytical Essay Imagine, being accused of a crime you didn’t commit by your neighbors and friends out of jealousy, and desire. This is what many people in the town of Salem had to go through during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. People's motives such as: gaining and maintaining power, and aspirations for what other people had caused them to make irrational, and atrocious decisions. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, desire and power drive characters to create chaos in the community.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of The Crucible

    828 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Crucible Literary Analysis The theme in a story is the concealed message that the author is trying to portray. The theme can be compared to a baby crying. Sometimes it is obvious as to why the baby is crying, but often times it is a mere thinking situation. The baby cannot tell you why it is crying or what he/she wants.

    Read More

  • Who Is To Blame In The Crucible

    811 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a dramatic play that expresses a very important message and that is how far people would go to save themselves from the hands of death. There are many characters in the Crucible who are guilty of taking innocent lives, but there are three major characters who, without a doubt, are the most at blame. The play takes place in the city of Salem, a city filled with people that would do anything to keep their reputation clean. Throughout the play, Miller is introducing multiple characters that experience changes in their decisions and negatively influence more people eventually leading up to the witch trials. The main point that the story revolves around is that people would rather lie and blame someone else instead of confessing and accepting the punishment.

    Read More

  • John Proctor's Weakness In The Crucible

    912 Words  | 4 Pages

    John Proctor's main flaw was his excessive pride which sealed his fate. I myself felt his death transformed Salem’s ways of thinking and increased their own knowledge. Proctor's life completely started going downhill when Abigail accused John’s loved ones who then were sent to jail, or executed. John Proctor was a man of goodness and pride which cleansed his soul after he suffered a tragic death, and became a symbol of purity and greatness for others to

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Essay On The Crucible

    925 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Character Analysis over The Crucible” Arthur Miller is a commonly-known playwright, most famous for his 1953 play, The Crucible. The basis for The Crucible came from the witch trials which occurred in Salem, Massachusetts during the puritan era. Miller even uses some of the same characters in his dramatized play that were a part of the original witch trials in Salem. However, Miller made a few alterations to the historical members of the Salem society in order to suit his dramatic purpose in The Crucible, particularly Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Samuel Parris.

    Read More

  • The Crucible Pros And Cons Essay

    462 Words  | 2 Pages

    As time has passed, throughout history, during different periods of time there are parallels. There are three eras that we are focussed on, where there are three types of people during each era. The three different eras that we’re focusing on, are The Salem Witch Trials (1600s), The McCarthy Era (1950s), and Today (2000s); the three types of people are the people who are the reasons why there’s accusations towards the accused, the accused, and finally the accusers.     In The Crucible, or during the Salem Witch Trials, the person that’s the reason why characters were accused is John Proctor. The accuser in the play, who decides to point fingers at everyone, is Abigail Williams.

    Read More

  • Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible

    1580 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about what happened during the Salem Witch Trials. It gives insight about what people had to deal with in this situation and how they handled it. The trials were basically a big test which helped figuring out whether or not people were guilty of witchcraft. This is an example of what a crucible is. In our world today we still have crucibles and even though they are different than back then, they all relate to each other because of what influence they have on people.

    Read More

  • Essay About John Proctor's Downfall

    478 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Proctor is well liked and respected in the Puritan community and is trusted by everyone. In Act I, on page 1269, It says “Proctor, respected and even feared in Salem, has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud.” This quote shows that John has a lot to lose if his secret gets out because everyone looks up to him. Although John is a great man, his tragic flaw is his pride.

    Read More

More about Essay Analyzing The Crucible's Dramatic Structure

Open Document