Anna+A

**1. How the stage directions in Act 1 aid in the characterisation of Abigail (as hypothetically written by Arthur Miller):**
The stage directions present in Act 1 are particularly useful in revealing Abigail's true nature as a manipulative and erratic girl without necessarily rendering it apparent to other characters. For example, I first introduce her as "a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling". I find it important that she be beautiful, for people are often blinded by beauty and associate it with innocence, and this veil behind which Abigail may hide is necessary in her ability to manipulate those around her. Likewise, her being an orphan plants a seed of sympathy in the hearts of those around her, which again reinforces her benign façade. However her "endless capacity for dissembling" gives an insight into her actual disposition as it refers to something that is inherent to her character rather than her physical appearance or history, and shows that she is capable of maneuvering situations to suit her needs, with her "endless capacity" connoting that such scheming doesn't require much effort on her behalf; otherwise her capacity wouldn't be "endless". On page 10, when Parris refers to having seen a dress lying on the grass, Abigail replies "innocently". The emphasis on her alleged innocence is essential in the installation of doubt in regards as to whether or not she is actually innocent, as the next description of her is "in terror". This sudden shift shows the difference between Abigail upholding her virtuous pretence and the reality of her personality, and stresses her deep-rooted fear of losing control of others' opinions of her. Furthermore, I describe her as speaking to Parris with "an edge of resentment" and "ill-concealed resentment". This bitterness in her voice contrasts with the sweetness that she was using only moments before, with the detail of it being "ill-concealed" implying that she is beginning to lose her focus and hold on the situation, thus showing that this resentment is genuine. Similarly, later on in Act 1 when John Procter makes his first appearance in the story, we see continuous and sudden changes in Abigail's mood - from confidence to desperation, from anger to softness, and even to tears. All of these are represented through stage directions, and these multiple shifts in temperament in only a few pages show the unstable nature of Abigail's character.

2. The catalyst for the mass hysteria that develops in __The Crucible__:
In Act 1, Miller fuels the characters' irrational fear of the supernatural through their inability to explain abnormal events. This phobia leads to divisions in the community and acts as a catalyst for the mass hysteria that arises in Act 2. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam are the two characters that best convey this obsessive fear in the earlier stages of the play, and can be viewed as foreshadowing the frenzy of superstition that later takes over. We are first introduced to the Putnams' ludicrous superstition as Mr. Putnam declares to Parris "there are hurtful, vengeful spirits layin' hands on these children". The certainty in his tone is apparent through the use of "there are", a phrase that leaves no room for doubt or argument, and shows that one part of the community isn't open to explanations that contradict their already deep-rooted beliefs of the Devil being the cause of everything that goes wrong. Likewise, when Mrs. Putnam asks, "for how else is she struck dumb now except some power of darkness would stop her mouth?" the expression "for how else" gives the sentence a matter-of-fact tone, implying that there would be no other 'rational' reason except for "some power of darkness". Moreover, the vagueness in the latter part of the sentence also shows that, regardless of the promptness of the community to blame the supernatural, they essentially know very little about it. Similarly, we see the separation within the community when Rebecca Nurse, the character that best epitomises reason and wisdom, says that the arrival of Reverend Hale will "set us all again to arguin' in the society, and we thought to have peace this year". This explicitly declares the tension within the village, which is continuously emphasised by the constant interruptions on behalf of all characters. For example, when Rebecca proposes to "blame ourselves" she is brusquely interrupted by Mr. Putnam who asks, "how may we blame ourselves?", which also brings forth the notion that not only are the characters unable to explain abnormalities, but are also unwilling to blame themselves. It can be argued that it is a combination of both of these factors that later stops Danforth from accepting the possibility that he has made a mistake in condemning so many of the town's villagers. His reluctance can be inferred in Act 3 through the fact that it takes pages of dialogue for him to even begin to consider Mary Warren's testimony, but only one line of Abigail's reassurance to "weaken" him. Likewise, in Act 4, when faced with the proposition of postponing the hangings, Danforth replies "postponement now speaks a floundering on my part", which again reiterates his unwillingness to accept his mistakes in fear of others finding him weak. In conclusion, although there are many different possible catalysts for the mass hysteria that develops in Act 2, the readiness of a section of the community to believe the accusations and the dichotomy already present in the village is imperative for the drastic development of the plot.

3. Directing the scene on pages 104-105 [Act 3]:
The scene referred to here is a crucial point in __The Crucible__, and in order for the suspense and tension to reach the audience, it must be directed accordingly. Firstly, Miller takes great care to write out specific stage directions, and the actors must adhere all of them. For example, Elizabeth's pauses and the quietness of her words create a sense of anticipation, and force the audience to pay close attention. In addition the stage directions already included in the play, I think that when Abigail and Proctor turn around, they should be standing side-ways to the audience, on opposite sides of the stage, with their backs to the centre and each other. This physical distance after the argument present in the previous pages will highlight the tension between the two characters. Elizabeth and Danforth, on the other hand, should be in the middle - with Elizabeth facing the audience directly and Danforth pacing in front of her whilst asking questions. This allows for the audience to see Elizabeth's reactions well, and emphasises Danforth's movement. The fact that, at least at the beginning of the scene, Danforth is the only one moving underlines the anxiety of the other characters, and adds to the tension present in the scene. Furthermore, Elizabeth should make sure to move with purposed slowness, such as when she "pauses" or "sensing a situation, wets her lips", which adds to the suspense as the scene progresses. However, she should stop at her second attempt to glance at Proctor, after which Danforth exclaims "woman, look at me!" Elizabeth should deliver her next lines quickly and without pauses, to contrast with her previous reluctance and briefness. However, after Danforth jumps to the question of whether or not Proctor had "turned from" Elizabeth, at which he should stop pacing, Elizabeth returns to her prior quietness, which juxtaposes with Danforth's newfound hysteria at trying to pry a proper answer from her. This can be seen clearly after Danforth interrupts Elizabeth at her third attempt to look at her husband, at which Danforth "reaches out and holds her face". His aggressive tone in that line of dialogue, and the fact that it is obviously pushing Elizabeth to lie stresses the hysterical undertone of the situation, and reiterates the already intense tension. When Elizabeth finally gives her answer, there should be a flurry of movement as Proctor turns swiftly to face her with Danforth stepping in his way. After Proctor exclaims that he "confessed it", Elizabeth begins to panic but swiftly gets taken away by Marshal. The sudden burst of movement represents the climax of the scene having been reached, and the frenzied response that it caused. In conclusion, I believe that the scene should be directed such that the beginning is filled with stillness and pauses in order to accentuate the suspense and tension, whilst the latter parts should be quicker and louder so that the underlying hysteria is rendered more apparent.

**4. How one theme is developed throughout __The Crucible__:**
The inability to accept failure and weakness is a recurring theme in __The Crucible__, and is explored mainly through the characters of Danforth, Proctor and, to a certain extent, Abigail. Whilst Danforth and Abigail are clearly reluctant to face their mistakes, part of the reason for why we sympathise with Proctor at the end of the play is the fact that he is able to acknowledge his wrongdoings and attempts, in many cases, to better himself. An example of this is in Act 1 when we first see Abigail and Proctor together, and Proctor claims, "I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again". This, alongside the fact that he is "angry - at himself as well", implies that he is unwilling to do anything with Abigail as he knows that he has done wrong and doesn't wish to do so again. The mention of "at himself as well" indicates guilt, which isn't something we see when analysing either Abigail or Danforth, and again insinuates that Proctor is different from other characters as he is prepared to accept the blame for who he is, and what he has done. On the other hand, Abigail refuses to admit to her failure at trying to win Proctor's affections, as can be seen when she exclaims "you loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!" The desperation in her voice can be inferred through the exclamation mark, and it can be argued that Abigail's reluctance to accept rejection is what pushes her to begin the accusations of witchery in the first place. Although it was removed from the play, the scene in which Abigail and Proctor meet in Act 2 gives an insight into just this, as Abigail declares "oh, John, I will make you such a wife when the world is white again". This proves that she believes that Proctor still loves her and wishes to marry her, which gives the impression that she refuses to believe the fact that she failed in her manipulation of Proctor, and that it was him that took advantage of her. Similarly, Danforth rejects all accusations that either he or the court is weak, and dismisses any who claim that he is wrong in his decisions. For example, in Act 3, Danforth asserts, "a person is either with this court or against it, there be no road in between". This uncompromising way of looking at the situation can be seen as an attempt to appear decisive in order to mask the fact that he is wavering (which may be viewed as a sign of weakness), which can again be seen in the way Danforth is so absolute whenever he changes his opinion. We are also presented with Danforth's unwillingness to face the rebellion against the court when, in Act 4, he disregard's Parris' mention by saying "there be no rebellion in Andover". His phrase, being so outright and straightforward, hints at the innate belief of Danforth that no one would ever rebel against his court, thus inherently implying that he finds inconceivable the notion of the court, and himself, being wrong. In conclusion, __The Crucible__ explores the theme of failure and weakness through Proctor, who manages to accept his flaws and attempts to improve himself, and Abigail and Danforth who are unable, or unwilling, to recognise their own foundering.

5. The relevance of __The Crucible__ in modern society:
__The Crucible__ is a play that is very relevant to modern society as it is treats themes that are still pertinent to today, such as how fear and paranoia can fuel mass hysteria and give it the power to subdue logic. As Miller was writing in the time of McCarthyism in the United States, it can be legitimately said that much of what occurs in The Crucible is a reflection of the 'Red Scare'. For example, in an interview, Miller claims that people were accused of being "un-American", which immediately parallels with the allegations of being "un-Christian" in Salem, 1692. In both cases, that charge alone would cause neighbours to turn against you, regardless of their actual stance on the situation, in fear of association with your ideals. When describing the situation in the 1950s, Miller says that there was a "crushing of all nuances and shades", implying a society that was completely black and white. Again, this is comparable to the comment made by Danforth of it being a "precise" or "sharp time", which can also be seen in many contemporary circumstances, such as the "war against terror" in which many believe that you if you don't support the cause, you must be a terrorist yourself. Another analogue is the fear of he who is different, which in __The Crucible__ is best exemplified by Proctor, who is ultimately accused of witchcraft. In modern society, the best comparison of this is the xenophobia that seems to be taking over many Western European countries, such as France and Italy. Whenever something goes wrong, it is blamed on "the foreigners" - much alike how in Salem it was blamed on those that didn't adhere completely to the rules set by the Church. Overall, although superficially the plot of __The Crucible__ has little relevance to contemporary situations, the themes it deals with and the ideas it presents in regards to fear, paranoia and mass hysteria are still very applicable to modern societies.

Excellent Anna, well structured and with deep insight into the play as a whole. I like the way you deal with language so skillfully and are confident to bring your interpretation to the text. The final paragraph needs some development in terms of relating your ideas to specific ideas and examples.

Use of examples are well integrated and your choice of theme is original and well developed. Well done Annna.

K&U - 5 Lit Features - 5 Interpretations - 5

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