Dramatic Tension in The Crucible

A detailed Summary of Dramatic Tension in The Crucible


One of the reasons that The Crucible is such a successful play is that the drama is established early. A consideration of the first 20 pages of the play will show that Arthur Miller creates dramatic tension in the first scene and establishes the themes, setting, and plots that will continue throughout the play.

The play opens the day after the girls were seen dancing in the forest. The first scene then partly deals with finding out what the girls were doing in the forest. This includes a range of people giving their thoughts or stating evidence related to what the girls were doing. This establishes one of the major themes of the play, which is how one is able to get to the truth. Reverend Parris is seen to be worried that the girls were engaging in witchcraft. This is partially backed up by Susanna's news that the doctor has not been able to find a cure for Betty. While this is not any real evidence of witchcraft, it seems to confirm Parris's concerns. More hearsay is then introduced as Abigail talks about the rumors of witchcraft that are circulating through the town of Salem. The difficulty of established the trut


Finally, the opening of the play also established the plot of the play. The plot revolves around the trials to find out whether the girls are witches. While the formal trial does not start at this point, some key events are shown. It is seen that the elders of the town have a tendency to believe in witchcraft. The girls are also seen discussing how to handle the accusations. It is interesting to note that the girls do not simply agree to tell the truth. Instead, they have to think about what to say and what not to. Abigail is also seen emerging as the leader of the girls and even threatening them. Despite this, it is clear to the reader that the girls are not witches. This established the basis of the plot, which deals with accused innocents and how they can establish their innocence in an environment where people are inclined to believe them to be witches.

Overall then, it has been seen that the first 20 pages of the play establish the themes, the settings, and the plot of the play. This creates dramatic tension by raising a range of unanswered questions that the remainder of the play will deal with.

It is not

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Approximate Word count = 762
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts

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