Final answer:
Arthur Miller added the affair between Abigail and John Proctor in 'The Crucible' to depict the complexity of human relationships. It serves to deepen character motivations, expose personal conflicts, and enhance the play's thematic elements, particularly in the context of McCarthy-era America. option D is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Arthur Miller's inclusion of the affair between Abigail and John Proctor in The Crucible serves multiple purposes, but when examining the options provided, it works fundamentally to depict the complexity of human relationships. This addition deepens the narrative and provides a nuanced layer of personal conflict to the historical context the play represents. Miller's Abigail is driven by her desires and emotions, which initiates much of the conflict within Salem. This affair adds complexity to John Proctor's character as well, burdening him with guilt while also highlighting his own inner conflict between upholding his moral standards and his evident human failings. Miller's portrayal of human relationships and personal failings is a reflection of the social and political atmosphere during the time of McCarthyism, linking the individual struggles to the broader theme of societal pressure and the consequences of sin.
The affair also addresses themes like guilt and the consequences of sin (Theme of guilt, Consequences of sin), which are significant in understanding the characters' motivations and the choices they make, thereby enhancing the play's thematic depth. While the affair does create suspense, its primary function within the narrative is to offer a personal dimension to the larger commentary on hysteria and to draw attention to the intricate interplay between private indiscretions and public condemnation. This intricate portrayal underscores the hysteria's destructive power not only on individual lives but also on broader community relationships. Thus, the correct option that best describes why Arthur Miller added the affair between Abigail and John Proctor in The Crucible is D) To depict the complexity of human relationships.