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Essay on Creating Tension in Act 2 of The Crucible by Arthur Miller

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Creating Tension in Act 2 of The Crucible by Arthur Miller Arthur Miller's play The Crucible is set in Salem in 1692. At that time there was a lot of tension, as many people were being accused of witchcraft and being against God. In the play Miller shows how the accusations affected everyone in Salem. Miller creates a sense of tension by setting the scene in a "low, dark room." This room is quiet and gloomy as very little light is getting in. Miller does this to create an atmosphere which is unhappy and depressing. The tension is already high as the scene before ended with satanic accusations. The room is bare, which is unwelcoming, and it seems unlived in as nothing is out of place. Miller uses the scenery to bring …show more content…

Elizabeth appears to be suspicious of John, we see this when John tells Elizabeth that he was alone with Abigail. This builds up most of the tension in the scene. Miller has done this to show how upset the character is. We can see this in the way Miller makes the character speak. "You where alone with her?" The action in this scene is minimal, Miller does this so the audience focuses on what Elizabeth and John are saying, rather than what they are doing. The movements they make are also there to show a change in the characters emotion, for instance when John stands to kiss Elizabeth; "he gets up goes to her and kisses her". From this we can see he is trying to say sorry to her, but she merely received it, showing that she doesn't forgive him. Miller does this to show that John has realised the mistake he has made with Abigail. Elizabeth wants John to be pleased with her "She sits and watches him taste it". From this we can see that although there are problems, Elizabethis trying to continue as normal. Miller's use of characters allows him to inform us of the purpose of his storyline. Elizabeth is portrayed as a caring mother figure, as she is heard by John singing her children to sleep. By displaying a cold front to John when he attempts to kiss her, we can see that she is cold. "Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!" Here we see

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