common mod: the crucible Flashcards
magistrate
goodness and integrity
“The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John,”
metaphor, juxtaposition, motif
* metaphor of courtroom in exposition of the play
* instills tension in the audience –> reveals low sense of self Proctor holds
* suggest measure of one’s morality and goodness comes from within oneself opposed to conforming to external pressures perpetuated by the strict Christian paradigm of Puritan society
* juxtaposition between proctor’s negative perception of himself and elizabeth’s virtuous opinon about him –> highlights contrast of internal and external worlds
* recurring motif of justice - pretence to the completion of john proctor’s tragic hero character arc as he reclaims his own sense of goodness and affirmation of integrity
shred
goodness and integrity
“And there’s your first marvel… I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor,”
anagnorisis, third-person, metaphor, paradox
* Proctor is finally able to forgive himself of his sins as he would forgive others
* reconciliation and acceptance of self gives him redemption for sin of infidelity
* conventions of american theatrical realism –> heighten dramatic tension –> apparent in representational acting of proctor –> confronting illustration of his peripeteia
* metaphor of “shred of goodness” implies Proctor’s incremental nature of his moral awakening, reflecting self-doubt
* paradoxical utilisation of metaphor of “magic” to describe Proctor’s realisation of goodness contradicts traditional notions of falseties and deceit magic alludes to -> highlight complexity of Proctor’s character development arc as he eventually overcomes his own insecurities and is able to maintain his integrity
forbid
goodness and integrity
“He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!”
motif, exclamatory mode, invocation of religious language, blasphemous statement
* shows completion of proctor’s quest for redemption as he sacrifices his own life for the sake of his integrity
* invocation of religious language to imply the blasphemous statement that reflects the disillusionment with the tyrannical Christian regime and of his individual principles –> depicts his carthasis
pulpit
reputation
“There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?”
high modality, rhetorical question, first-person, chekhovian dramatic structure, proxemics
* highlights overwhelming concern and stress parris holds regarding his reputation - neglecting his daughter when she is immobilised
* through chekhovian dramatic structure - miller utilises proxemics of scene to physically represent, as well as first person use of “me” and “my”, parris’s self-centred beliefs and anxiety as he worries about his reputation in salem
wheels
reputation
“But I must!… wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!”
derogatory language, characterisation of Ann Putnam as character foil to Rebecca, saracstic tone, metaphor
* reflects her inner turmoil - results in grief-fuelled projection of anger onto rebecca nurse
* irrational behaviour degrading rebecca shows desperation for acceptance, extent to which she values reputation
blackening
reputation
“She is blackening my name in the village… She is a cold, snivelling woman.”
derogatory language, accusatory tone
* parallels Ann’s words towards Rebecca
* pattern of sinful words antagonistic characters engage in to preserve their own standing in society at the misfortune of those who are genuinely righteous
* critical comment surrounding McCarthystic notions that often villanise anamolaous individuals needlessly through false accusations and out of desperation of their own acceptance into society - degradation of Rebecca and Elizabeth
osburn
hysteria
“I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!”
fallacious accusations, archaic vernacular, dramatic historification
* precedes rise of panic - consequently loss of logic and compromise of justice
* dramatic historification - evident through representation of false accusations –> exemplified by exclamatory mode –> mirrors interactions of HUAC with Elia Kazan
* Elia Kazan - individual who helped production of miller’s earliers plays, forced to expose communists to save himself from prosecution
* dire consequences of who abigail accused –> reflects the unjust ramifications of mass hysteria from a fear-fuelled community that acted out of suppression of anger and resentment towards strict Christian paradigm that formed the foundational pillars of Puritan society - similar to capitalist structure America was interwoven with
same
hysteria
“Abigail points up with fear, the girls do the same… Danforth do the same,”
stage directions, proxemics, repetition
* accentuate hysteria and irrational paranoia that possess salem - collective human experience of hysteria in a fear-fuelled community
* proxemics –> physically represent emotional turmoil –> repetition of “bird”
* following suit of authoritative figures to girls - power of hysteria - the way it compromises justice in salem, like America = creates paradox in which stability + control of Salem is lost to mass hysteria
devil’s
hysteria
Mary Warren “pointing at proctor: You’re the Devil’s man!”
stage directions, accusatory tone, high modality
* emphasise intensity of her words
* reference to “devil” contradicts strict Christian paradigm they are in
* reflects how hysteria distorts personal feelings of loyalty - instead establishes betrayal
tracks
hysteria
Proctor “stopped in his tracks”
- irrational paranoia –> mary warren seeks to save herself caused by the communal fear through betraying proctor –> leaving him shocked and “stopped in his tracks”
- mary warren’s conformity to abigail’s notions + beliefs of other girls = reflection of how integrity of individual human experiences are tainted by communal ideologies that arise out of panic and fear
- irrational behaviour in abigail + mary warren echo actions of america gripped in 1950s fanaticism as HUAC became dominant fixation of American psyche
