Irony is an outcome of events that is contrary to what was or what might have been expected. "The Crucible," written by Arthur Miller, captures the feelings and emotions of real people that were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. Irony within the drama, shows how innocent people may result in becoming anxious and afraid due to being charged with crimes they did not commit. Irony impacts this play because it creates anxiety and tension within the most critical scenes.
A strong belief within the conservative, Puritan community was that children should be seen and not heard. One of the Puritan ministers, Reverend Parris, supported this belief: “He regarded them as young adults, and until this strange crisis he, like the rest of Salem, never conceived that the children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak,” (Miller 4). Despite this thought, Abigail Williams and the young girls of Salem were the “stars” of the court cases convicting people of witchcraft. They were the main witnesses and consistently used spectral evidence to frame innocent people in the town. While in the court, the girls screamed, acted out, and did anything imaginable to become the center of attention, and to convict as many people as possible. Since the town of Salem believed these girls were bewitched, their behavior became acceptable, despite their previous Puritan beliefs. As a result of all these critical events, tension was created within the court between the girls and the people of Salem.
Towards the beginning of the drama, John Proctor commits adultery by taking advantage of Abigail. When questioned by Reverend Hale to recite the Ten Commandments, he remembers all except the sin of adultery. This results in Proctor feeling guilty, anxious, and not being able to forgive himself for his fault. Instead of admitting his sin, he u...