Crucible Essay

Maria Figueroa

Period 5

            In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Miller uses three types of irony. Miller gives examples of verbal irony, when a character does or says something they don’t mean. Dramatic Irony is when the reader knows what is happening but the characters in the play don’t know. Another example of irony that miller uses is that of irony of the situation, when something happens that the reader would least expect.

            Mr. Proctor is married to Elizabeth in the play, but Mr. Proctor doesn’t stay loyal to his marriage vows. He has an inappropriate relationship with an eighteen year old girl, Abigail. When the witch trials came about everyone believes every word that comes out of Abigail’s mouth. Mr. Proctor says, “I am only wondering how I may prove what she told me, Elizabeth. If the girls a saint now I think it is not easy to prove she’s afraid” (1269). Mr. Proctor doesn’t mean that Abigail is a saint, he knows what they did, and Abigail says it her self “I took for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart” (1247)! This is very ironic and is an example of verbal irony, saying something that they don’t mean, like Mr. Proctor.

            The advantage of being a reader is some times knowing things the characters don’t. For example, Ruth is not really sick she’s faking. Mrs. Putnum tells Mr. Parris that Ruth is sick and he is shocked. “Your Ruth is sick?” (1178). The reader knows that she isn’t really sick, but Mrs. Putnum thinks that she is bewitched. “I’d not call it sick; the Devil’s touch is heavier than sick, It’s death” (pg.1178). No the Devil is not in the girl she is faking. It is ironic how the reader is going on and the characters think the total opposite of the truth.

            When some thing happens that you least expected to happen, you are dealing with irony of the situation. Miller sets us up with a very ironic situation, the one of Rebecca Nurse’s imprisonment. “Rebecca’s in jail!” (pg.1280). Proctor was very surprised with this. Rebecca is an elderly woman that is very kind and charishable. When Hale says,

It’s strange how I know you, but I suppose you look as a good soul should. We have all heard of your great Charities in Beverly.

                                                                        (pg.1255)

They are talking about how great of a person this woman is, and for her to get arrested is ironic. The reader would never guess that Rebecca was going to be charged for witch craft.

            In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Miller gives examples of three types of irony. Examples of verbal irony, dramatic irony, and irony of the situation are given in this play. These three types of irony serve the purpose of helping the reader realize that the Salem witch trials were brought upon because of such stupid reasons. Irony helps to show this.