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The Crucible Act Structure Essay

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The Crucible by Arthur Miller was a play that was written in 1953, and had a strange 4 act structure. Contrary to the original 3 or 5 act structures. Originally, Aelius Donatus said that there had to be a beginning, middle, and end to a play (Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe). Later, the Romans developed the 5 act play that had: A starting point, rising actions, the climax, falling actions, and the resolution. The 5 act play was commonly and popularly used by Shakespeare. The Crucible, although a 4 act play, has the main outline and characteristics of a 5 act structure. Act one in the five act structure is the exposition which introduces the setting, the different characters, and where the conflict is introduces. In The Crucible introduces …show more content…

These actions lead to the climax and when the protagonist encounters obstacles in their path. Since The Crucible is a four act play, the rising actions begin in act one, with Abigail showing her antagonist side. She exclaims what story they are going to stick with by saying, “Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Punam’s dead sisters. And that is all.” The plot is thickened after this when we learn of John Proctor, an older gentleman that she had an affair with. The author reveals how she still has very strong feelings for him, and that she will stop at virtually nothing to become his wife. Even if this means finding a way for his wife Elizabeth to be killed. When she is exposed of not telling the whole truth to Reverend Parris, she breaks down, and admits to making a pact with the devil, but that she wants to give herself back to Jesus and call out the other people that she saw walking alongside the devil on that night. She shouts at Reverent Hale, “I want to open myself! I want the light of God; I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced with the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” More people are named by both Abigail, and

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