"THE CRUCIBLE"
ACT
TWO ; SCENE 2 ( APPENDIX ) :
This
scene taken at midnight, after Elizabeth Proctor are arrested. John Proctor
came to Salem and secretly ask Abigail to meet him at the woods. Abigail think
and senses that John Proctor finally come for her. But through conversation, at
the end she becoming angry at him, specially when he ask Abigail to drop all
the charges against his wife. If Abigail thinks that John Proctor under
bad-spells from the wicked woman (she means by Elizabeth), on the other side
John finally sees Abigail as she is : a crazy and disturbing girl, who gone mad
and frantic about their relatioships – even many times he tells her, there’s no
such things like a relatioships among them, only between him and his wife. They
argue and gone separate with anger, no one gets what they want, but John afraid
for what more that little deviliss girl would do unto their family and friends.
Notes
: this scene are from the original production, but dropped by the author from
the published reading version in all editions prior to 1971
ACT
THREE :
Sets
on the vestry room of the Salem meeting house, who now turn into the General
Court by the judges on this cases.
The prosecutor is Judge Hathorne, leading
the court is Deputy Governor Danforth, with
the help of Ezekiel Cheever and Marshal Herrick, also Reverend Parris as
the liasions between church and laws (for his own private interest). They all
wants to sets justice on the victims in Salem, and with the main mission to
find the Devil’s source among peoples, so many people are arrested, with held
in the name of justice in dungeon, so they can ask forgiveness and finally admitted
doing the Devil’s works, plead guilty for the sake of their life. Some of them
finally say ‘yes’ – guilty on the charges, because of the terror in the court
and frightener of their life, taking by the punishment as the Devil’s servants
: will be hang immediatly. But some of the good ones, like Rebecca Nurse, and
Elizabeth Proctor, not yet plead guilty, because they believe on what’s right
and what’s wrong.
Meanwhile,
Giles Corey, Francis Nurse with John Proctor, trying to makes a case with
evidence and proof, that hopelly can free their wives from being hanging. With
the help of Mary Warren, who got confuse with the arrest happens on Elizabeth
Proctor, after few days rested and staying home, finally she confess to John
Proctor, that all the event was a pretense, leading by Abigail Williams. With
this, they are feeling more confident to go into the court, asking for justice
to done correctly. With so many troubles, after finally they accepted by the
judges (at first, no one can enter the court, specially when the judges takes
the examination on the suspects, it’s likes being question in the interegation
room, almost not all of them can stay long through the proccess, and on the
desperate need, they finally agree to confess ‘guilty’). The main judge,
Danforth looks like really interesting and what to hear more evidence that can
suggest otherwise. But through the proccess, it’s a really a battle, between
Reverend Parris with his accompless, like the Putnam’s and those girls, leading
by Abigail Williams, while John Proctor and Francis Nurse with Giles Corey – a very temper man, and the
weak-loss Mary Warren, had so little to makes their cases. Even when finally
Reverend Hale it’s in their side.
The
Law and Juctice are not in their side, the only looks for something to be blame
on this event. And the main key on this is ‘the secret’ keeps hidden by john
Proctor, and when he sees that no one can save this situation, he choose to
reveal on this court, about his ‘relationship’ with Abigail Williams, that ‘cause
this tragedy, and start the crazy act that turn the city up-side down. While
the court beginning to sees the truth and the reason behind all those
accusation, all the girls are called to be questioning. But again, Abigail
Williams can show how good she is to twisted the whole stories, even had a
bigger influence on those girls, even on Mary Warren’s side, to go on the other
side, again, and accused John Proctor as the new suspect to be questioning,
after Giles Corey’s arrest for ‘contempt’ the laws. Even Reverend Hale got him
self bursting with anger, to see the injusctice, and realize that he taking
part on this event on the very start. The guilt and helpless felling, to sets
the truth, are like trying to swim against the strong tide in the sea, slowly
his strength are weaker and he begin to drowning.
Sets
on the Salem’s jail, closely on the day when John Proctor will be hang.
Danforth
had found that Reverend Parrish lets Reverend Hale to visited all the prisoners,
even he already forbid to came near this case, after his frantic out-burst in
the court. Stunning, furious and angry, ‘cause his order are to crossed, he
demand the explanation while he visited the jail. Apparently, there’s another ‘tragedy’
happens on Parrish’s home. Abigail Williams are missing, or more appropriate
says, she’s gone, running away with Mercy Lewis, after she stole all the
content inside his uncle’s safebox, leave him penniless. She robed her own
uncle, afraid what come to hers, and realize that her dreams with John Proctor
are gone, specially while this man keep as the prisoner, waiting for his
punishment come. Deep down insisde his heart, Parrish knows the truth, but he
cannot have the strength to admitt the truth, ‘cause it will coming back on him
self. Now, a little bit guilt and scare are reaching him, so he try to pursued
the prisoners, to confess ‘guilty’ to safe their own life. That’s why he ask
Reverend Hale for helps, to convice them, ‘coz no one will listen to him :
Reverend Parrish – the council of the church, the God’s messengers, but without
respect or honor by its members, that’s makes him getting bitter everyday.
One
other things he do, is asking Elizabeth Proctor, to visit his husband (they
both in jail but never meet each others, Elizabeth’s verdict are guilty, but
the punishment being held ‘cause her circumstances, she’s pregnant, so the
court will wait until the baby is born), Parrish and Hale are wishes Elizabeth’s
common sense will change John’s mind, to plead guilty for his life, or he will
be hanging the next day. The conversation between John and Elizabeth, describe
how the marriages are the main part to the sins they makes on each others as a
couple, and lets them in the difficult possition until now. But times are
giving each others a clear mind, to sees what wrong, and asking for each other
forgiveness. But Elizabeth cannot give John’s answers regarding on the choice
he had to makes on his belief and their life as a family. With hard-hearted and
sadness, Elizabeth only suggest for John to makes his own decision, ‘cause it’s
not up to her to dealing with John’s guilt, he had to forgive himself before
God’s names or his consience will bother him. Elizabeth are honest and
truthfull woman, as his husband testemony on the court, she never lied
specially on the face of his husband. John’s struggle through this meeting, he
really want to live, having his life back with his family, but that’s means he
had to confess ‘guilty’ and signed the form, marks him as the Devil’s servant
all his life. But if he choose to ease his counsence, that’s means he will die
instaintly in the hanging pile, leaving his family forever ... when the times
is ticking, everybody pushed him to makes a decisions, it’s his final act on
his entire life !!
(
A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS )
Copyright
Arthur Miller, 1952, 1953, 1954
Copyright
renewed Arthur Miller, 1980, 1981, 1982
Introduction
copyright © Christopher Bigsby, 1995
Published
in Penguin Books 1995
Cover
illustration by Jake Rajs/Photonica.
Best Regards,
