Scene between Elizabeth and Proctor Essay Example for Free

Scene between Elizabeth and Proctor Essay During the two exchanges Miller creates semantic fields using temperature as the subject. In Act 1 this field focuses on heat to describe the relationship between John Proctor and Abigail. Within the exchange Abigail uses this imagery of heat frequently â€Å"I have a sense for heat† and â€Å"burning in your loneliness†. The words â€Å"heat† and â€Å"burning† create the semantic field and are used to portray the passion and lust that caused the affair. This use of heat also presents their relationship as alive as â€Å"heat† is immediately linked to fire through the use of the word â€Å"burning†. This causes their relationship to be seen as intense and bright like flame in a fire. The images of heat are immediately linked to their affair when Abigail says how he â€Å"sweated like a stallion†. This, â€Å"sweated†, is caused by their desire which is presented by heat during the scene. Miller uses this semantic field to present the relationship between the two characters as uncontrolled and based on carnal desire and lust rather than a relationship based on love which would last. Miller goes further to emphasise this as Abigail says â€Å"You are no wintry man†. This confirms that their relationship is based on â€Å"heat† as she even goes as far as to say that no coldness or even common sense is present within John when he is with her. This defines their relationship completely as she denies that coldness exists within them. In complete contrast to the semantic field of heat in Act 1, during the exchange between Elizabeth and Proctor the semantic field revolves around the cold. Miller uses this to present their relationship as controlled and strained. Elizabeth and Proctor’s relationship has been affected badly by the affair and the trust between the two is lost. John says how â€Å"it is winter in here yet.† The word â€Å"winter† affirms the feelings that the relationship is cold and now they are distant from one another. The use of â€Å"winter† also makes the audience feel as though, like nature in winter, the relationship between the two is dead. This is contrasting to the exchange in Act 1 as their relationship is portrayed like a fire which is alive and burns brightly and intensely. This dead atmosphere continues to grow as Proctor states how a â€Å"funeral marches round your heart.† The word â€Å"funeral† immediately conjures the images of death and the audience is alerted more prominently to the theme of death that surrounds their relationship. The mention of a â€Å"funeral† also stretches further to bring an element of sadness and despair to their relationship. This adds to the themes of cold and dead. Miller goes further to present their relationship as like ice. Proctor describes Elizabeth’s judgement as â€Å"your justice would freeze beer!†. This links to the semantic field of the cold and presents their relationship as hard and unyielding as ice. The use of the exclamation mark makes the feeling of cold more definite and pronounced. During both exchanges the atmosphere is presented as tense due to the affair which Proctor had with Abigail. In the scene with Elizabeth and Proctor it is prominent in the way they interact with one another and how the pace and volume begin to increase as the scene progresses. At the very beginning of the scene John is shown to be tampering with the stew Elizabeth has produced, â€Å"takes a pinch of salt, and drops it into the pot†, however, Elizabeth is not aware of this. Proctor does not want to offend Elizabeth or make their relationship more awkward so he seasons the stew without telling her. This could be interpreted as the beginning of the tension in Act 2 as the audience would think it unnatural that a married couple do not share their true feelings to one another. The tension is amplified when Elizabeth is presented as being suspicious of Proctor, â€Å"What keeps you so late†, she appears to be insecure and suspicious as to whether he is still having an affair with Abigail. Their relationship is not presented as stable but forced and strained. This causes tension in the audience as they are aware of the underlying issues but here feelings are being suppressed and the audience know that at some point they will have to be released. The biggest increase in tension is caused by the increase in volume. John begins to shout at Elizabeth, â€Å"I’ll not have it!†, the exclamation mark shows this obvious increase in volume. Here, the audience knows that all the emotions that have been suppressed are now being expressed. This is similar to â€Å"the crucible† imagery as their emotions have been â€Å"bubbling† under the surface and have now spilt out. This increase in volume creates the most tension as it is similar to the build up of volume that the audience experienced in Act 1, the audience know that there will soon be climax of tension which will lead to a disaster. Similarly, in the exchange between Abigail and Proctor, tension steadily increases as the scene progresses. The first cause of tension within the scene is the audience’s realisation of an affair between Abigail and Proctor. This domestic tension is already strong as the audience are aware of the religious back ground from which both characters belong.  Another contrast between the two exchanges is how feelings are shown between the two characters. During Abigail’s and Proctor’s exchange the feelings between the two are presented as uncontrollable and wild. Abigail says how John â€Å"sweated like a stallion whenever I come near!† The bestial imagery is used to describe their sexual relations. Miller does this to show how low their actions were and how they responded to carnal desire instead of abstaining and following their heads. The bestial imagery also presents them as untamed and so therefore not in control of their reactions or emotions. This sense of uncontrollability is continued with the repeated use of the word â€Å"wild†. â€Å"A wild thing may say wild things† This portrays Abigail and John as untamed and reinforces the idea that they are animal like. This makes the audience understand how they are relying on pure instinct alone and not using common sense to make decisions. During the exchange Abigail is not hesitant to respond to any sign that John is being affectionate. John is described as having â€Å"his smile widening†, this could be perceived as slightly flirtatious and therefore confirms that there is an attraction between the two. Abigail immediately responds to this slight flirtation quite strongly. â€Å"Give me a soft word, John. A soft word. [Her concentrated desire destroys his smile]†, Abigail is shown as pleading with John. Her dialogue presents her as desperate for his affection and the use of the phrase â€Å"concentrated desire† during the stage directions shows her inability to control her emotions as they are â€Å"concentrate† which impies they are incredibly strong and not easily contained. During the exchange between Elizabeth and Proctor, the portrayal of their emotions is much more controlled than in the exchange between Proctor and Abigail. The two characters are hesitant and are careful in picking their words. Elizabeth and Proctor seem to be making â€Å"small talk† and exchanging pleasantries. The two characters do not elaborate and act as if they have just met, â€Å"are you well today?† to which Elizabeth replies â€Å"I am†. These short sentences show the simplicity of their exchange and present their relationship as false and acted. Elizabeth and Proctor keep their emotions contained and stay on safe topics to avoid the underlying issues. During the stage directions Miller wrote â€Å"It is as though she would speak but cannot†. This immediately shows her emotions being suppressed as it appears that she cannot move on from Proctor’s betrayal. Elizabeth is hesitant to talk about her feelings or about the problem within their relationship. This is a stark contrast to the previous exchange between Abigail and Proctor as during their exchange their feelings were clearly shown and the issue was tackled directly. Elizabeth continues to control the output of her emotions when John kisses her. Her response to Proctor is minimal and she appears quiet and unresponsive. â€Å"Kisses her. She receives it†, Millers use of short sentences again shows the simplicity of the exchange. The verb â€Å"receives† shows her to be passive as she does not respond to Proctor’s affectionate gesture. This again contrasts to the previous exchange as Abigail immediately responded to any slight indication of affection.