Dramatic Irony in the Crucible

of witchcraft because Abigail plotted a plan in order to get her lover back. One main

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about two lovers who are from two disputing families, and their eventual suicides. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout the play to create tension for the audience and foreshadow the ending. Dramatic irony is when the words or actions of characters in a story have a different meaning to the reader than to the characters. This is because the reader knows something that the characters do not. Romeo and Juliet’s death could have been prevented if the characters in the story weren’t so ignorant of their situations, and often times the reader recognizes this.

Elizabeth Proctor’s ironic white lie demonstrates that a robust reputation is helpful, even necessary, for survival. After John Proctor confesses to adultery and admits that the affair was the reason for Abigail’s dismissal, he tells Judge Danforth to summon Elizabeth and confirm the statement as “she has never lied” (Miller 79). When Elizabeth enters the room, Danforth commands her to look only at him, ensuring that she does not refer to her husband for advice or assistance. Elizabeth denies the lechery saying, “My husband—is a goodly man, sir” (Miller 80). When Elizabeth denies John’s adultery, therefore

Abigail is not only a liar she is selfish. She tells lies that hurt others in order to help herself and she is devious. In the court room she announces, "I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil, I saw him, I wrote in his book, I go back to Jesus, I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah

Abigail was being accused repeatedly of lying and making up all of the accusations which were of false nature. The many people who were hung because of her testimony was what would now hang over her head. When she was brought before Mary Warren her false tears and outcries of pain were all an act, but in her mind she was the only one who was correct in her dealings. Abigail was for unfathomable reasons a port of knowledge through which the judges and lawyers convicted and sent to death those who were accused. The awful girl was but of one mind. She wanted revenge and to be back to her “love”, John Proctor. Abigail tried and tried repeatedly to get her hands on John, she tried to get his wife hanged, and when she couldn’t have him she decided that no one else could. Abigail soon began to accuse John Proctor of the precise thing she was known for, witchcraft. Abigail had been in the woods when the young Mary Warren went mute from the shock of seeing Abigail drink chickens blood and curse Goody Proctor, all of these happenings had to do with Abigail Williams, and now she would have to suffer through her own crucible, to figure out how she was going to get out. And though Abigail did narrowly escape the major shackles of her crimes, the guilt and foreboding of being a treacherous liar found her rumored to be a young prostitute in Boston. Forever to be alone and used. That was Abigail’s crucible and punishment for all the problems and

Irony is the expression of someone’s meaning by using language or actions that are the opposite. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a fictional story based on the events of the Salem Witch Trials and the action of the townspeople causing chaos within their society. The theme throughout the play is that the townspeople’s actions to stop witchcraft consequently lead to more deaths of innocents. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the townspeople of Salem were ironically doing the work of the Devil because they were believing the lying girls because of hysteria and they refused to believe any opposition to the girl’s claims.

One example is when Bottom’s head gets turned into a donkey (Shakespeare 1.2.21). This is an example of Dramatic irony because we know why his friends are running away from him because his head is a donkey but he does not know that or that his head is a donkey. Another example of verbal irony is when Helena does not know why Lysander is in love with her (3.2.13-18). This is also dramatic irony because we know why Lysander is in love with her because Puck put the flower juice on Lysander’s eyes to make him fall in love with her however Helena still does not know why Lysander is in love with her. These are some ways that shakespeare uses dramatic irony in A Midsummer Night’s

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible presents Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams who serve important roles through their unique characteristics and thinking. John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, has two defining characteristics that show throughout this play: she not only lives to please everyone around her and behaves passively, but she lacks the assertiveness to confront what lies directly under her nose. However, Abigail, the girl John Proctor commits the crime of adultery with, manipulates those around her. She is keen to act upon an opportunity when one arises and feels a determination to get her way. While Elizabeth and Abigail are similar in their love for John Proctor, Elizabeth differs from Abigail through her tendency to try to please everyone and keep her own emotions bottled up, while Abigail believes the world revolves around her and works to make things go her own way.

To further illustrate the appeal to a reader’s pathos Miller writes, “I have been near to murdered everyday because I done my duty pointing out the Devil's people-and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a-“ (108). When Abigail mentions she has suffered tremendously for her statements, even Mr. Danforth (a judge in the play) experiences sorrow for Abigail. Considering that a court official felt sympathetic towards Abigail, further elaborates on the fact that she uses her misleading appearance to exploit the hysterical town of Salem. With the assistance of her past experiences, and current ones, Abigail Williams is able to distress the other villagers and intensify their hysteric views.

After having an affair with John Proctor, she couldn’t accept not being without him. Abigail also admires “how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife” like Elizabeth be unaware of the affair she had with John Proctor(act1pg#). As a result to the affair, Proctor is trying to rebuild his marriage with his wife. Abigail continues to intervene in John Proctors marriage and attempts to manipulate Proctor so he would confess his love for her. Proctor admits his love for her, but does not continue his affection because Abigail seeps of vengeance for other individuals. He portrays her “as a lump of vanity” who thinks to dance on his “wife’s grave!”(act 3). For her own selfish desires, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft and tries to intentionally sabotage her. She does this for the purpose of her own selfish and fictitious relationship that she has with Proctor. Abigail believes she has the capability to influence Proctor, but her egoistic actions to win his undefining love makes her appear as the criminal in the

Dramatic irony is shown heavily throughout the story, as the reader connects with Mary as she goes through her whole plan on how to cover-up the murder. An example of dramatic irony that was shown is when the officers were eating the murder weapon and they didn’t even know except for Mary and the readers. I found the situational irony to be more dramatic because you would have never pictured a woman going from such a calm and loving state to one that killed her husband in the spur of the moment. It was shocking to me on how she had such a rapid change in attitude and how she was able to put on a smile

     Abigail William’s aggressive personality easily persuades the other girls to follow her footsteps, and back up anything and everything she says. This personality also frightens people in the courtroom to question her truthfulness, or her relation with John Proctor. Due to her forceful behavior, the girls support Abigail, and therefore become entangled in her web of lies, sins, and murders.

When Elizabeth goes into the courtroom, she does not know John has confessed. This can be described as dramatic irony because the reader knows what Elizabeth does not. She lies for her first time by denying John and Abigail’s affair, abandoning her Puritan morals in order to protect her husband’s reputation. The truth would have saved John, but Elizabeth’s lie destroys him and causes the court to believe Abigail, which shows situational irony. Abigail has previously accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. Reverend Hale tries to calm John when Elizabeth is arrested. John alludes to the Bible and says, “Pontius Pilate! God will not let you wash your hands of this! without my name”(Miller 1285).

First off, Abigail uses the trials to seek revenge, resulting in the wrongful deaths of many. Abigail commits many sins, including lust for John Proctor. Once she rises to power in the courtroom, she uses it to exact vengeance upon those who have done her wrong. Victims of her wrath include Elizabeth Proctor; who she calls a ¨a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her¨ during an argument with John Proctor and Mary Warren (Miller 23). After Mary Warren starts siding with John Proctor, Abigail goes so far as to accuse Mary of sending her spirit out in the courtroom to attack the other girls. Abigail can be seen using such accusations to inflict a twisted justice on her enemies. Actions as unjust as these

Dramatic Irony is present several times in The Merchant of Venice, for example, in act four scene one when Bassanio remarks that he would give everything up for Antonio, including his wife, Portia disguised as Balthazar responds, “Your wife would give you little