The Crucible - How are the aduience prepared for the rest of the play from act 1 - page 2
Keywords: How are the aduience prepared for the rest of the play from act 1
By ollyccfc on 17/11/2008
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 2 of 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
to talk about witchcraft or not. He is worried because he fears he will lose his name and respect “. Just when some good respect is rising for me in the parish.” Although because Parris is a minister, he knows he should speak the truth. Parris decides not to talk about it and in fear of his own neck, tries to convince himself that there isn’t witchcraft about by calling reverend Hale, a supposed expert on witches. Parris thinks that Hale will sort everything out and confirm there are no witches “. There be no unnatural cause here. Tell him I have sent for Reverend Hale of Beverley, and Mr Hale will surely confirm that.” However this backfires on him and creates hysteria within the village. This is continued throughout the play and is the reason for so many accusations and hangings. Right at the end of the play we see Parris realise he has made a mistake. By not telling the truth in Act 1, this has lead to the deaths of innocent people. At the end of Act 3 he says “, go to him goody proctor, there is yet time.” Miller puts the stage direction “in deadly fear” to enhance the dramatic affect of this quotation. A decision he made in Act 1 has affected the whole play and the audience realise that Parris knows he makes a mistake.
Mr Putnam is another character who helps to build hysteria within the village. Miller also gives him an introduction where we learn he is the son of the richest man in the village. He has had 8 children but only one has survived. His only child Ruth has been ill and so he wants to blame something or someone for this “. How may we blame ourselves...? I have one child left of eight and now she shrivels!” When the talk of witchcraft is bought up in act 1, Putnam tries to assure people that it is true “. There are hurtful, vengeful spirits laying hands on these children.” He also says “, Don’t you understand it sir? There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself from the dark.” Putnam is behaving like this because he wants to avenge the death of
his seven children and he does not want to lose his only daughter, Ruth. Mr Putnam’s actions in act 1 suggest to
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