Question

Identify each action that the actors playing John and Elizabeth Proctor are told to do in passage 152. Why does Miller provide such specific descriptions of their actions? ACT IV

Answer 1

In act IV of Arthur Miller's play, 'The Crucible', the actors playing John and Elizabeth Proctor are instructed to perform specific actions, such as entering with coolness and silently walking out of the room together. Miller provides these specific actions to convey the emotions and dynamics between the characters.

Step-by-step explanation:

In act IV of Arthur Miller's play, 'The Crucible', the specific actions that the actors playing John and Elizabeth Proctor are told to do in passage 152 include:

1. John enters 'with a certain coolness';
2. Elizabeth turns towards him but cannot speak;
3. John crosses her path and she watches him;
4. John speaks 'with a desperate bitterness';
5. Elizabeth is faintly smiling;
6. Elizabeth silently watches John;
7. John understands Elizabeth's smile and then 'gently takes her hand';
8. Elizabeth nods and they walk 'into the disguise of their past relationship';
9. John reaches out 'toward something unseen';
10. Elizabeth 'takes his disguise' and they silently walk out of the room together.

Miller provides such specific descriptions of their actions to convey the emotions, tensions, and dynamics between John and Elizabeth Proctor in this crucial scene. The detailed actions help actors understand the characters' inner thoughts and motivations, and allow them to effectively convey the complexities of their relationship to the audience.