Period+B4+Discussion

Prompt, 9/30/14:
After reading the deleted scene from The Crucible, (Act 2, scene 2), argue for or against including it in a production of the play. Please support your argument by including at least one textual reference/quote in your response. Answer with depth and organize your response (about a paragraph or so) logically.

Pia Fornell Act 2 scene 2 is essential in the production of the play, The //Crucible,// by Arthur Miller because it reveals Abigail beginning to believe in the witchcraft she tells as well as demonstrates the theme of "hypocrisy" amongst the town. Abigail responds to John Proctor about George Jacobs being in jail, "Thank God he is, and bless the day he hangs and lets me sleep in peace again! Oh John, the world's so full of hypocrites!...They pray in jail!" (150 Miller). Abigail has separated herself from her own actions, truly beginning to believe that what she accuses is real. She thinks that the town is full of hypocrites because they pray in jail, but she is one of the main causes those people are there. This is integral to the development of the play because without it, we believe that Abigail is doing this with strong intent and deceit. In reality, she most likely began out that way, seeking revenge and attention. Now that she has convinced herself of these false truths she will not stop herself from continuing the charade. She is so caught within the phenomenon that she herself is blinded by her original intentions. Furthermore, with this scene in play, hypocrisy becomes a major motif that could be tracked throughout the story. Many people in Salem go against what they believe and do actions opposite of what they say their intentions are. Therefore, this should be in the production of //The Crucible// because it adds key developments within Abigail's character and outlines the motif of hypocrisy.

Hazel Belair I believe Act 2.2 of __The Crucible__ is pretty entertaining, but I don't see a strong need for it to be incorporated into the rest of the story. Although it adds some spice and sassiness, especially when Abigail asks, "What will you tell? You will confess to fornication? In the court? (152)", as she tries everything she can to keep the upper hand, but I think they were correct to take it out. It doesn't necessarily prove to have any contextual relevance to the rest of the story, as it only foreshadowed what John was willing to say to free his wife. I feel for Abigail because she seems like a power hungry young woman who fell for the wrong guy, but at the same time, she's been asking for it since the beginning. There's no way it can end well for her..

Eric Kim Act 2 Scene 2 should be added to __Crucible__, the reason is that it shows that Abigail still likes Proctor. However, Proctor doesn't like Abigail and she wants her wife back. These texts are in the book without deleted scene. However, by adding this scene, it makes this story better. Proctor says in Act 2 Scene 2, "If you do not free my wife tomorrow, I am set and bound to ruin you, Abby" (151). She astonishes and surprises. Her reaction is surprising because Abigail still thinks that Proctor still likes her. Also, Abigail's opinion about Elizabeth is clear and stronger. Without Act 2 Scene 2, there's no direct conversation between Abby and Proctor in the __Crucible__ in Act 2. If this is part of the Crucible, this scene is the point where Abigail and Proctor officially makes each other into enemy. After all this conversation, this scene also foreshadows that there is going to be witch trial of Elizabeth and something is going to happen.

Tin As we read through the play, we know enough that Abigail plans the accusation of Goody Proctor by having Marry Warren as a fellow fraudulent accuser. I think it would be more interesting/surprising to see what John Proctor would say at court rather than knowing what he will say. (152) "I will prove you for the fraud you are". Plus this scene is just another intimate one to inform us about their relationship. We already know that Abigail is obsessed with John Proctor and he's trying to get rid of her. If this scene was a in the play we could pretty much predict the end of it and it wouldn't be exciting.

Maria Jaramillo Act 2 scene 2 of The Crucible should be included into the production of the play because it shows the audience Abigail's motivation and true intentions behind her actions. The scene also adds a bit more spice to the romantic side of the story by making Abigail's feelings clear to John Proctor. Throughout the scene you can see Abigail's childish and ignorant behavior coming out as John Proctor discusses Elizabeth's trial and forces her to face the fact that she'll never get his love. This realization makes her a very realistic character by showing her devious plans as well as her desperate need for John's love by saying to him "you are this moment singing secret hallelujahs that your wife will hang." (Act 2, scene 2 pg.152)The scene doesn't change the outcome of the story, but it does provide a deeper insight on the sorts of conflicts the characters are dealing withing themselves. I personally think it is a scene that should be included in the play for the audience's entertainment as well as the insight it provides into Abigail and Proctor.

Ruolin Hou Act 2 Scene 2 of //The Crucible// should be added into the production of the play, because it presents Abigail's thoughts and John Proctor's attitude toward Abigail. In the first act, Abigail is only afraid that she will be punished for making charms and drinking blood. However, in Act 2 Scene 2, when Proctor comes and asks her, she pulls up her dress and says, "Why, look at my leg. I'm holes all over from their damned needles and pins. The jab your wife gave me's not healed yet, y'know" (149). She becomes more impenitent, and it seems that she is believing in her own lie. Toward the end, Proctor gets angry at Abigail because she refuses to tell the truth, "You will tell the court you are blind to spirits; you cannot see them any more, and you will never cry witchery again, or I will make you famous for the whore you are" (152). In the first two acts, Proctor doesn't clearly show his attitude and emotion toward Abigail, but in this scene, he actually shows his emotion. This scene gives the audience the clear idea of Proctor's reaction to Abigail and witchcraft. Therefore, this scene is needed for readers to clarify about the main characters and their thoughts and views.

Shaheen Safari I do not think that Act 2 Scene 2 of The Crucible should be added to the production of the play. I felt the context was purely informative about what was going to happen in the future and did not do anything to develop the story. If this scene were included then the reader would expect something in exciting to happen in the trial, which takes the element of surprise out of that part of the story. We also already know that John and Abigail have a very awkward relationship with each other and that is what most of this scene shows, "You brought me from my bed to speak of her?" (page 151). The incident that Abigail and John had together keeps coming up in the text creating awkward moments for both of them. This passage is not necessary to the story and I believe makes it less exciting due to the fact that we have an idea of what John is going to argue in court. The new information provided by this passage just reaffirms obvious connections the reader could have made from the context already provided.

Nehalem Kunkle-Read Act 2 Scene 2 of __The Crucible__ should be used in the production of the play because it adds depth to the plot and to the two main characters, Abigail and John Proctor. This scene provides a personal insight into the characters’ relationship and motives going into the trial. When Proctor asks Abigail if she will accuse others of witchcraft in the future she says, “If I live, if I am not murdered, I surely will, until the last hypocrite is dead” (Miller 150). After just having his wife taken to court on a false account made by Abigail, Proctor is furious when he hears this. So, when Abigail seems to doubt that he will accuse her as a fraud in court, Proctor says, “ …you will never cry witchery again, or I will make you famous for the whore you are!” (Miller 152) With the inclusion of this excerpt, the reader has a clear idea of how serious Proctor is about preventing any more false accusations of witchcraft in the town, even if it means risking his own reputation. The scene acts as a basis on which the reader is able to make assumptions about the upcoming trial, and will make it easier for readers to understand why the characters act the way they do in court.

Lane Henry I agree with Arthur Miller's decision to drop the second half of act two in //The Crucible,// and should have just ended with the scene between Mary Warren and John Proctor. Scene two's purpose is to clarify and solidify what is currently happening in the play, and I feel that it slows down the momentum from the end of scene one into act 3. Furthermore when Proctor explains to Abigail (and the audience) that if she does, "not free [his] wife tomorrow, [he] is set and bound to ruin [her]..." this actually ruins the surprise that comes without knowing this fact when they do eventually go to court (Miller 151). This scene reveals too much information about the relationship between Abigail and John Proctor, and leaves the reader without having to do any insightful thinking or "reading between the lines". Without this scene, the audience may think that something is still brewing between the two, but with it, the emotions are blunt and there is not any mystery left to keep the reader engaged.

Alan Emami I believe that act 2 scene 2 should be included because it adds some tension between act 2 and 3 and it is a good way to explain John Proctors attitude to Abigail. This scene shows John Proctors goals and feelings and is a god way to understand his actions for the rest of the book. The things John tells Abigail he will say show that he is willing do give up his reputation for his wife " If you do not free my wife tomorrow, I am set and bound to ruin you, Abby."(151) Revealing his affair to the court or telling the court about her faking all the witch accusations could first of all make Abby powerless and secondly it could also force Abby to reveal the affair to make John lose his reputation and credibility. This is overall a very good transition scene to the court and should have been included in the play.

Julia Hammel Although I think the deleted scene is well written and does a good job of capturing the readers attention, I can see why Miller ultimately decided to leave it out. In my opinion, Miller removed this scene from the novel out of fear that it would confuse the reader. Prior to this scene, Abigail is depicted as a self absorbed, confident, powerful girl. Her evident insanity in this scene contradicts this therefore, in order for this scene to fit into the story properly, Miller would have to alter her character throughout the story so her change in personality isn't as striking.

Daniel Kim __The Crucible__ is a production wrought with the intricacies of individual relationships and grudges that formulate between families and friends within the town of Salem. With this in mind, the statement can be concluded that the friction among characters in the novel causes, ironically, a distinct ambiguity in the understanding of the plot and character motives because every seemingly insignificant discord alters the outcome of every situation in the story. At this point in the plot, as readers we are left uncertain about some key components in plot and character motive. This opaqueness strengthens the drama of the production as every small development in the plot leads to a small key that the audience can use to analyze and predict the plot as it comes. The inclusion of Act two, scene two obviates this enigmatic component of the story. This can be argued by tracing the content of the scene. Act 2.2 does not contain any major plot developments, denoted by the producer's decision to exclude this section from the performance. The vast majority of the section is arbitrary character development. Abigail was initially portrayed as a nefarious character who has no other intention but of self-preservation and contempt (as shown by her hatred of Elizabeth Proctor). However, as shown in "Why look at my leg. I'm holes all over from their damned needles and pins" (149), Miller decides to change Abigail's character by stating that Abigail started to believe in her own lies. According to Abigail, "[she] used to weep for [her] sins when the wind lifted up my skirts; and blushed for shame because some old Rebecca called [her] loose... God gave [her] strength to call them liars, and God made men to listen to [her]" (150). Miller chose to elucidate Abigail's intentions and motives too early in the plot by revealing that her personal grudges and derelict social standing caused her to seek power by accusing her adversaries on grounds of religious enlightenment. As an audience, we did not hear much about Abigail during the witch-hunt prior to this section and we were left wondering and trying to figure out the motives of a mysterious women that we did not know much about. This made the plot much more engaging to the reader by offering an environment where the audience plays the role of a third-party social examiner and detective. By anticlimactically killing the mystery of character motive at an inappropriate time and a rather banal and hackneyed conversation started by throwing pebbles at the window, the very essence and soul of the production was inadvertently killed as well.