Rhetorical Analysis Of Arthur Miller s The Crucible

In The Crucible, Arthur Miller employs many rhetorical and poetic elements to depict the changing nature of relationships between the play’s characters. One of the most rhetorically dynamic relationships portrayed in the play is the marriage between the protagonist John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth. Miller skillfully uses Elizabeth and John’s language and the overall tone of their marriage to manifest John’s complex character development throughout the play. The marriage evolves from a relationship of hostility and tension to sacrifice and selflessness as John becomes a man of integrity. While John is overall more of a dynamic character than his wife, Elizabeth does not remain static for the entirety of the play; she demonstrates a slight character change in the final act that is, in a sense, opposite from her husband’s. The changes in the language of Elizabeth and John throughout the play result from the gradual breakdown and final anagnorisis of J ohn’s character as he learns the value of the truth and becomes willing to shed his formerly coveted dignity for Elizabeth’s honor. This evolution of communication and character between the Proctors allows for mutual forgiveness and the final reconciliation of their marriage before John dies as a martyr. The first time the reader sees exchange between John and Elizabeth is in Act Two, where the interaction is forced, cold, and characteristically one-sided, demonstrating the effects of John’s affair on the marriage.