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Covers The Crucible, Tempest & Hagseed, T.S. Eliot...

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COMMON MODULE: TEXTS AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

THE CRUCIBLE – COMMON MODULE 

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Key terminology o Individual and collective human experiences o Human qualities and emotions o Anomalies o Paradoxes and inconsistencies in human behaviour and motivation Set in the puritanical theocracy of Salem during the 17 th century witch trials Blatant political allegory for the 1950s when McCarthyism and communism was rife o ‘The Salem tragedy, which is about to begin in these pages, developed out of a paradox. It is a paradox in whose grip we still live, and there is no prospect yet that we will discover its resolution’ o ‘while there were no witches then, there are Communists and capitalists now, and… each camp… work at undermining the other’ Miller’s stage directions give explicit instructions regarding all aspects of the play o Draws explicit comparisons between Salem and the modern world o ‘long-held hatreds of neighbours could now be openly expressed and vengeance taken’ The Crucible’s form is that of a ‘modern tragedy’

1. TRANSGRESSION AND REDEMPTION The universal and individual experience of transgression and redemption is examined in The Crucible through the character of John Proctor as he struggles with the wider consequences of his actions and the internal conflict that arose from those actions

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Salem is a puritanical theocratic society which has a deeply conservative regime that suffocates individuality in the pursuit of collective ideology Individuals are repressed by the strict belief of the collective Miller is making his own political opinions felt as he symbolically links Salem to other moments in human history One of the most fundamental human experiences is the notion of transgression and redemption o links to the idea that to 'err is to be human' but also to the central purpose of the role of storytelling Proctor represents the issue of transgression and redemption best, with the internal conflict regarding his transgressions His personal and individual experience of finding redemption

QUOTE “Nailed the door on the church” “Cut off my own hand before touching you again…” “Because it is my name…I have given you my soul; leave me my name” “…I am no saint…” “I wilted…like a good Christian I confessed” “He have his goodness now… god forbid I take it from him’ “New sun is pouring in…” “In the proper place…where my beasts are bedded

EFFECT Shows the Christian virtues of Proctor as he helped construct the Church – the place of God Proctor regrets his transgression greatly, and makes sure never to repeat it Proctor falsely confessed, damning his soul In doing so, he gave Danforth his ‘soul’ (integrity/values) He wants to keep his name which is all he and his family have left Proctor recognises his sins Patriarchal society – he could have let God along judge him but decided to ‘confess’ In order for Proctor to feel redeemed, he has to die, Elizabeth recognises this Proctor is redeemed in the eyes of God Animal imagery in reference to Abigail Proctor’s regret for his actions

“adultery, John’”

Dramatic irony

2. JUSTICE, AUTHORITY, AND IDEOLOGY Throughout history, human beings have been subjected to persecution by societal authorities. The Crucible magnifies this by setting itself in a theocratic society gone mad with witchcraft, and Miller is able to demonstrate the power that ideological systems hold over a community   

The theocratic and puritanical authority present in Salem is shown to be abused by those in power The preservation of ‘authority’ is seen as the most important aspect, opposed to maintain justice and fairness The court and those who reside in it end up persecuting the population it is there to serve and protect

QUOTE ‘Time honoured’ ‘Melting down all concealment’ ‘These books are weighted with authority’ ‘If they don’t confess…they will hang’ ‘Theology is a fortress…no crack can be considered small’ ‘You are either with this court or against it’ ‘Private vengeance… common vengeance writes the law’ ‘Little crazy children jangling the keys to the kingdom’ ‘Is the accuser always holy now?’ ‘There is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning’

EFFECT The ideologies of Salem + the way of life (what led to mass hysteria) The combined authority of the courts and the church Hale has the authority of Church and God Knowledge is power in an illiterate society Ineffectiveness of the court and Church working together In a theological society, that ideology is absolute

The absolute power of the court . Danforth cares more for the power he is granted by the court than using the power to help people Personal views and revenge have worked their way into the court, influencing decisions Questioning the power the court holds, and that it is now in the hands of Abigail and her posse Proctor is again questioning the authority/integrity of the court and church The hard iron will of those in power, and how they abuse said power

3. THE ROLE OF WOMEN The theocratic and puritanical community of Salem is innately patriarchal, an aspect that is highlighted and explored through the character of Abigail Williams/ the fear that surrounds acts of individuality is the driving force for Abigail’s action and indeed the play, and shows the oppression of women and the act of denying them power within a society

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There is an obvious problem with how the law is administered in Salem as the girls are placed in a position of extreme power without any real verification of their assertions Society is stratified = social hierarchy Authority throughout history persecuted women more heavily than men which is depicted through female characters The power dynamics between men and women is shown clearly in Abigail’s actions when confronted with accusations of dancing and witchcraft o Actions which are a result of fear are the driving force for the tragedy Abigail is in a vulnerable position in the beginning of the play, which is only heightened The fear that Abigail experiences is a collective one, shared with the other girls

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In order to save herself, she and the other girls place the blame on those who are lower in the social chain than they are - Tituba being a black slave woman Once the girls have gained a level of security and power within their society, they use their position to progress further and maintain that level of manipulative power The varying depictions of women in the play call bigger questions regarding the role of women within society, reflecting the Madonna/Whore complex o Dramatic tension of girls seeing the ghost of Mary Warren

QUOTE ‘I never sold myself! I am a good girl! I am a proper girl! She made me do it!’

‘I never knew what pretence Salem was, I never knew what lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men’ ‘I saw Indians smash by dear parent’s heads on the pillow next to mine’ ‘She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman’ ‘If either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, I will come for you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a point reckoning that will shudder you’

EFFECT Abigail is motivated by fear, resulting in her blaming those who are lower in social stature than her. There is dramatic tension which shows the stratification of society She uses her newfound power and status amongst the community

Shows the trauma that Abigail has experienced Abigail begins to work on revenge/vengeance against Goody Procter Metaphor of ‘pointy reckoning’ Abigail is controlling the girls through fear

Arthur Miller's historical tragedy The Crucible explores the human experiences that transcend to the McCarthy era context. This allows the audience to reconsider their understanding of LINK TO QUESTION. In this text, an allegory was used to explore the communist infiltration of the witch trials during the McCarthy era. This emphasises individuals responding to neglecting their morals and values for their integrity, promoting fear and sacrificing their morals for their own safety. Many individuals, influenced heavily by the theocracy of their government and religious indoctrination, were steady in their belief of the supernatural and its manifestation in human-form particularly witches. We can see LINK TO QUESTION, through the experience shown as an enhancement of power through neglecting morals, values and their integrity. Certain individuals promoting their own intentions from confusion, fear and suspicion which affects the community and sacrificing their morals to ensure safety and security. Whilst some characters depart from their morals, values and integrity, others rise to face the crisis and experience an enhancement in power and agency as a result LINK TO QUESTION. We can see LINK TO QUESTION through Proctor the use of "name" symbolises his integrity, honour and his reputation since he is unable to reconcile his values due to the continuous referring of "name". Miller uses stage directions when Proctor "tears the paper and crumples it" which is symbolically conveying his rejection of the false community testimony, lies and corruption it represents LINK TO QUESTION. The stage directions of Proctor "weeping infury, but erect" with this change in his posture from initially "weak" and extraordinary development of character LINK TO QUESTION. Miller applauds characters such as Mary Warren and Proctor for their refusal to sacrifice their names, honours, neighbours in the face of fear and desperation, despite their personal loss, LINK TO QUESTION. This further illustrates that in time of crisis, individuals can act in ways totally unprecedented at the expense of their own survival, whilst others wilfully embrace fear and suspicion to advance themselves at the expense of others LINK TO QUESTION. Individuals will do whatever it takes to enhance their power and agency, as a result of this they will neglect their morals, values and integrity for this. Miller captures the tendency for individuals to take advantage of crisis situations to promote their own interests and gain from the confusion, fear and suspicion afflicting the community LINK TO QUESTION. Through Miller's use of stage directions, he states "so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam" which reiterates the exploitation of the weakened justice system to execute personal vengeance LINK TO QUESTION. As well as, the use of irony through Abigail Williams shows LINK TO QUESTION. The symbolism and metaphor are used when John Proctor states that "That woman will never lie, Mr Danforth!" suggesting that there is corruption and lies between the different points of view and stories LINK TO QUESTION. Ben Brantley states "one of the miracles of this "Crucible"... is its success in presenting all those onstage as all too human and all too hungry to see themselves as good people" which reiterates LINK TO QUESTION. Hence, by depicting the harrowing consequences of Putnam's actions and the innocent deaths he contributes to LINK TO QUESTION. Miller ultimately vilified characters such as those who exploit others and their fears for the sake of self-advancement.

Miller displays the detrimental effects of division and discord within Salem through the symbolic disintegration of the legal justice system as a simultaneous catastrophe to the erosion of social order LINK TO QUESTION . Division also emerges between those who provoke suspicion and those who employ reason when faced with matters of societal disruption. Through the characterisation of Parris states "Whip [Tituba] to... death" which is LINK TO QUESTION, employing violence and threatening to "whip" her to "death" thus warranting a forced confession. The dramatic irony through Parris stated "saw it... [he] saw someone naked running through the trees" which is insinuating LINK TO QUESTION. The stage directions of "his eyes going wide", demonstrate his growing panic and worry associated with supernatural forces LINK TO QUESTION . This deliberate lie prevents the pardoning of innocent individuals such as Proctor and Elizabeth LINK TO QUESTION. Whilst allowing Parris to maintain a moral image of himself for a little while longer, completely neglecting his leadership and spiritual role within the community. As a result, the disintegration of the legal system is the cause of many conflicts and hysteria occurring. LINK TO QUESTION. These individuals will disregard their own morals to protect their safety and security when they are vulnerable.

Through storytelling, composers seek to expose key political and religious issues of a nation, as such issues are reflected within the private anxieties of the individual. In this vein, Arthur Miller’s politically charged modern tragedy, “The Crucible” (1953) transcends time to reveal the inherent tension and conflicts suspended within the human experience through the allegory of Salem’s 19th century puritanical theocracy. Miller’s didactic play exposes the corrupted social narratives within Salem as a critical commentary of 1950s McCarthy America, paradoxically “land of the free”, ultimately plotting the timeless struggle of individual conscious against the collective as an eternal and inspiration conflict. In doing so, Miller unveils the inherently flawed nature of humans in their assumptions of others, challenging what has been previously thought to be true and inspiring an assessment of the self. Promoting the meta-temporal value of his text, Miller not only speaks to his own context, but instead reflects on the universality of his core ideas to warn responders of mistakes of the past and urge for a greater future. Ideological power structures are exploitable Critiquing the collusion of court and creed, Miller exposes the corruptibility of ideologic power structures whose values are exploitable by those who seek to gain control. This notion is developed throughout the play in Miller’s characterisation of the omniscient authority figure Danforth in, “The law, based upon the Bible, writ by Almighty God,” where the asyndetic progression indicates the source of this judicial corruption, being religion. Portrayed as relentless in his religious convictions, Miller invites the reader into the psyche of Danforth’s haughty ego in Danforth states in rhetoric “do you know who I am?” whereby the biblical allusion to the name of the lord “I am who I am” elevates him in his pride to the status of God. Using religious ideals as justification, Danforth is hence able to manipulate and corrupt court proceedings, stating, “We burn a hot fire here, it melts … all concealment.” In this Crucible leitmotif, laden with irony and fire imagery, Danforth prides the court in exposing deceit however, his refusal to cancel executions exposes his cynicism. The paradox of justice in Salem is further explored in the stage directions of Hales entrance “loaded down half a dozen books.” These books, which are ‘weighted with authority’ metaphorically allude to the damaging weight of Purtian religious values that pervades life in Salem, even to characters such as Hale who represent moral absolutism, and in Miller’s context the pillars of justice of America. Through this Allegory, Miller thus suggests tendency of individuals to use the politics

of diabolism to intimidate its foes, culminating in, “a warped justice system in Salem, so justice was corrupted.” Miller weaponises this paradox to shine a mirror onto the hypocrisy of modern American society, a land which fears tyranny and denial of freedom yet reproduces it to take justice into its own hands. Fear compiles individual to sacrifice agency and perpetuate injustice Through form, Miller considers the way in which conforming individuals comprise their own integrity to self-preserve, ultimately inflicting hysteria. Miller charts the development of hysteria through the climactic evolution in his four act structure. This form demands greater emotional investment from the audience so that by the plays end they are intensely self aware of the same hysteria that proliferates their own context. Act I seeks to locate blame for both private and public problems albeit in the private setting of Parris’ home, “there is a murdering with among us, bound to keep herself in the dark.” The darkened imagery is a metaphorical representation of hysteria, a motif reflected through the entire play. In Act II, Miller dramatises the gradual invasion of Proctors home by the court, establishing the irrationality of mob mentality in the personification, “the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!” revealing how hysteria permeates Salem’s legal system. As the play moves to act III, which is set in the church, the crisis from Proctor manifests itself in the shifting mode of from private to public, in Abigails veritable crescendo of accusations, "clasping her arms about her as though cold: I - I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come. Her eyes fall on Mary Warren." Conscious that her authority is contingent on the fantasy of witch persecution, Abigail fuels the hysterical accusations and too becomes absorbed in her loss of logical thought, emphasised through Miller’s use of ellipses. Act 4 culminates in the overwhelming power of hysteria, int hat Tituba and Sarah good now believe their false confessions were real, unveiled in the personification and repetition “Take me home, Devil! Take me home!” Thus, the play’s title itself, “The Crucible,” in which the process of purifying metal is analogous with the cleanse of Salem, becomes ironic in Millers own 1950s context, as individuals paradoxically lose integrity for self-interest. Miller hence exposes the unjust motives of all these people, forcing audiences to recognise that hysteria thrives only because people capitalise off of it, feeding it to satisfy their own greed.

Human agency Ultimately, Miller’s didactic purpose is realised in John Proctor’s experience of death and redemption that imbeds itself into the legacy of the text, forever a beacon of true justice and individual agency. We behold John Proctor as a man who undergoes a series of events that gradually disconnect him from people who seek to justify their own disembodied existences. Anomalous within Salem’s polarised spectrum of good and evil in which individuals are either, “with the church” or “counted against it,” Miller humanises Proctor as the entry point through which readers can interact with the extreme political landscape of the play in the authorial intrusion, “he is a sinner, a sinner not only against his own vision of the time, but against his own vision of decent conduct.” The anadiplosis characterises Proctor as “a sinner, a sinner” humanising Proctor for the audience so as to create a more believable hero. In conceding his sins as “a worm declaring his truth,” Miller employs biblical symbolism of a regretful “worm” to frame Proctor as a bastion of true Christian values who transcends by sacrificing himself in rebellion of a totalising regime. The dramatic peripeteia of Miller’s modern tragedy culminates in Proctos’ self-reclamation in, “I am John Proctor! You will not use me,” Proctor’s high modality expression illustrates his moment of anagnorisis as he chooses to sacrifice himself in refusing to “sign the testimony" rather than abandon his values under a totalising regime. In Elizabeth’s final assertion that in death, “he have his goodness now,” Miller employs the motif of “goodness” to frame his sacrifice as cathartic and preservative of America’s true pillars of justice. Thus, in the final stage directions “The new sun is pouring in,” Miller forms a metatextual afterlife embedded within the legacy of the play, harnessing the natural imagery to reflect the audience’s renewed perceptions of their state in the collective narrative,

encompassing Millers’ purpose as a storyteller. Ultimately, it is Proctor’s inevitable passage from evasive self-judgement to genuine self-awarene...