Extract Analysis

The crucible
Crucible 3

This extract is from the play The Crucible by Author Miller. The play is written in 1952 and first
performed in January 1953. Author Miller wrote this play in a social and political climate and inspired by
the infamous events back in the time in Salem, Massachusetts. The Crucible is written as an allegory of
McCarthyism when the US government blacklisted accused communist. The themes of Irony, Hysteria,
Misogyny, Guilt and Social Class are used throughout in this extract. This part of the play takes place in the
falling action, where Hale is plea for Proctor to testify him being a witch.
The extract started with an ironical word “Excellency” when Hale means totally opposite. Following with
many problems in the town at that time shows in lines 1,2 and 3 when he says “there are orphans wandering
from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs
everywhere,...” pointed out how badly its been when a myriad of accusation pour down onto innocent
heads caused many problems to the town, and all the court do is help it to destroy the town by listening to
all the lies and hang everyone that got accused without needed evidence. It’s ironic how Hale mocking the
court of how excellence they were by listed out the consequences they’ve done use the words like “orphans,
abandoned cattle, rotting crops”. The theme of hysteria can be seen in that sentence in lines 1,2 and 3.
Continues his dialogue, in lines 3 and 4 when he said “...no man knows when the harlots’ cry will end his
life…”, the author’s diction of the word “harlot” has an effect on the reader as such to some, it implies
prostitution. Harlots’ cry here is false accusations made by the girls participate in the dancing in the woods,
they made it dramatic so everyone believes it is the truth, the sentence pointed out how John Proctor is
innocent and he got accused to something that he did not do. For different perspective in a different type of
reader, the sentence also shows how the men looking down at women back in the time, also, shows the
theme of misogyny in these lines. The last sentence in Hale’s speech when he said “Better you should marvel
how they do not burn your province!” is spoken in a really sarcasm way when he knows that the town is
drowning in hysteria and how the Salem society is at the edge of collapsing because of the caused by the
trials. The word “burn” in this sentence is a metaphor for ruining or destroying and Hale emphasis this
sentence with the exclamation mark at the end shows his emotion toward what is going on in Salem.
Danforth replies Hale with “Mr Hale, have you preached in Andover this month?”. Historically, during
the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, Andover has more people got accused and arrested than any other town in
New England. Hale went to Andover to witness the trials and found the accusations of the witches are
unjust. He then realized that he what knows about witch-craft are wrong and all the accused are innocent
and come back to convinced the accused to confess. In lines 11 and 12, Hale is asking if he can have more
time to get them to confess, shows the theme of guilt. The theme is also shown in line 41 when Hale said “It
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The crucible
is a lie! They are innocent !”, he tries to persuade everyone to quit the court after realizing how the trials
brought hysteria and madness to Salem, which is unjustified. In lines 13 and 14, the repetition of the phrase
“blood on my head” twice with one exclamation mark in the first time and two exclamation marks in the
second time stressed the sentences that he said. The theme of guilt is also shown in this part when Hale feels
that he’s responsible for the deaths of the innocents. The second time when he repeats the phrase, the
sentence started with “Can you not see...” and ended with two exclamation marks, represent his temper
toward the court’s negligence.
The theme of social class is shown in the stage direction in line 25, uncertain how to plead, for he is not
accustomed to it. Danforth is a deputy governor, the highest religious and state position, he’s only telling
people what to do or deciding things. And because his position is so high, he’s not used to requesting from
others. He shows his peaceful and friendliness in line 19 stage direction, very politely, but later realized he
has stooped down so low that it does not fit with his position. He later asks Hale to replace him to talk to
Elizabeth. In the play as a whole, the word “Goody” is been used a lot throughout the play, also in this
extract in lines 19, 27, 32, and 36. “Goody” is a shortened version of “Goodwife”. Used for married women
before their last name in late 17th century Massachusetts. Women of higher social status would be addressed
as “Mistress”, lower social status woman as “Goody”. The themes of misogyny and social class are
conspicuous in the play in that the class can be shown just by the name, indicates Elizabeth Proctor is a low
social class housewife.
By using the metaphorical technique, connotation of words, the author made this extract full of hidden
meaning that some reader may not notice while reading through the play. All of the themes used in this
extract brings different emotions to different reader based on their gender and age range. In the end, this
extract foreshadowing for the readers that the play is coming to an end, but still very dramatic.
Bibliography
https://blog.prepscholar.com/the-crucible-act-4-summary
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/section6/
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/crucible-what-hale-mean-when-he-says-there-blood-379776
https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=eng_theses
https://www.thoughtco.com/goody-title-used-for-women-salem-witch-trials-3528199
https://sites.google.com/site/ianrsenglisheportfolio/end-of-the-year-portfolio/revision-reflection/revised-cr
ucible-essay
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The crucible
https://sites.google.com/site/english3gk/home/literature/the-colonial-period/the-crucible/the-crucible-no
tes/background-information-on-the-crucible

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The crucible

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