THE CRUCIBLE, Act II

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, conveys the story of the witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts. A young girl, by the name of Abigail, manipulates the town into believing that many of the townspeople are witches. She, along with many of other young girls in the village, do this to avoid punishment for dancing in the woods. Because of these accusations, many of the accused are put to death. Throughout the play, we see many developing themes and ideas. Suspicion, both conscious and unconscious, plays a large part in Act II, as well as in the rest of the play. We see this present through the characters of Elizabeth Proctor and Mr. Hale.

Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John, was one that was accused of being a witch and supporting the devil. Abigail accused her because she is deeply in love with John and fells that, with Elizabeth out of the way, she will be able to be with him. Because Elizabeth knows of the

love that John and Abigail once had, she fears that something is happening between the two now.

She knows that Elizabeth has accused her because she love Proctor. Elizabeth becomes even more suspicious of John when he says that he cannot tell the court tha

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For there’s your way, believe it, there

is only your way, when such confusion strikes upon the world. The jails are

packed - our greatest judges sit in Salem now - and hangin’s promised.

Act II is a turning point in the play. Elizabeth replies:

John, if it not be Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I

I think not. He is the one who, in the beginning of the play, agrees that the girls really have been infected by the devil. After questioning both Elizabeth and John, he realizes that they are both good people and, even though they do not know all of their commandments, they are religious people. 861)

Through this, we are able to see Hale question his prior judgement and begin to see the truth

behind the accusations. Were the murder done, perhaps, and never brought

to light? Abomination? Some secrets blasphemy that stinks to Heaven? Think on

cause, man, and let you help me discover it. His love for hew grows, while his love for Abigail slowly diminishes and eventually disappears. She senses the love that he feels for Abigail and does everything to try to prevent their relationship. She is, however - mentioned somewhat

(Act II, Scene 2, pg.

Approximate Word count = 791
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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