The Crucibles Verbal Irony :: Essay on The Crucible

Arthur Miller, one of Americas greatest playwrights, living or dead, is a professional of communicatory irony. An examination of three strong examples of verbal irony in Millers play, The Crucible, will prove this out. While Miller started the genre of the tragedy of the ordinary man, and is also bash for his thoughtful and decisive plot lines, much of his fame, by chance can be attributed to his brilliant use of language generally, and his use of verbal irony in particular.Amidst the drama of the court scene in effect III, Proctor and Mary Warren are being questioned in tattle to Elizabeths obstinance of poppets. Parris is trying to prove the fact that maybe they were unaware of her possession of these, that she could have secret her poppets. In a response to Proctor, Parris sites that We are here, Your Honor, barely to discover what no one has ever seen. Parris meaning is very undecomposable he is simply commenting that the court is trying to discover the poppets that su pposedly Elizabeth had hidden at her house, that no one has seen. But to read Miller, one must be more perceptive, and in examining this quote by Parris, there is other meaning behind it. As most know of the Salem entrance trials, they specifically know the unjust and misled court system that was used to load the witches. The words uttered from Parris mouth at that instance are so contradictory of the court and ironic that from a readers standpoint, one is mixed surrounded by the emotion of laughter and tears. For the knowledge of the witch trials would allow one to know that they were nothing but a hoax. The court is out to discover what no one has seen. Knowing that there are no witches, then Parris is but right when he says this. Its just the irony of Parris ignorance that makes this quote affective.The relationship amid John and Elizabeth is brought to test throughout this play. The fact that John cheated on his wife and the fact that Elizabeth cannot forgive him for thi s is the basis of the conflict. In Act II, Reverend compact comes to visit the Hosek - 2Proctors on his own account to alert them that Elizabeths yell was mentioned in court. Deep in the conversation, Hale asks John to recite the Commandments with the intention to prove he is a covenanted Christian man.