The Crucible and the Extra Scene
In the original version of The Crucible, published in 1953, a second scene for Act II was written but Arthur Miller decided to take it from the future editions that came after that time. A reason Arthur Miller might have removed this scene from the play was that it showed the readers too much information, which would have given the readers too much about what would happen later on in the play and it might have had disinterested the readers into continuing reading. The Act II scene, which was taken off from the play, would have changed the outlook that the read had on The Crucible and its characters, like Abigail’s character. Abigail would have been viewed differently after this scene because they would feel pity for her. Arthur Miller made a good decision in taking out that extra scene from Act II, after continuing the publishing of the other Crucible's plays.
Arthur Miller used a lot of details when writing the Act II Scene ii. This would have led the readers with too much information that would give away the end of the play. The conversation between John Proctor and Abigail Williams tells the audience what their plans and motives are for the future. John ends up telling Abigail that he was going confess the affair and prove to the court that she was faking the whole thing and that she needed to tell them that Elizabeth was innocent and she knew about the needle in the poppet and that she had been lying all along. “Abigail: What will you tell? You will confess to fornication? In the court? Proctor: If you will have it so, so I will tell it!" (p. 158). If Miller had let this scene in the Act when John had confessed it would have not made such an impact on Abigail as it did because if she had know he would have confessed she would have come up with a lie to protect herself from it. Proctor also threatens Abigail to tell the court how it is all a bunch of lies and she has never really seen any spirits, “Proctor: You will tell the court you are blind to spirits; you
Arthur Miller used a lot of details when writing the Act II Scene ii. This would have led the readers with too much information that would give away the end of the play. The conversation between John Proctor and Abigail Williams tells the audience what their plans and motives are for the future. John ends up telling Abigail that he was going confess the affair and prove to the court that she was faking the whole thing and that she needed to tell them that Elizabeth was innocent and she knew about the needle in the poppet and that she had been lying all along. “Abigail: What will you tell? You will confess to fornication? In the court? Proctor: If you will have it so, so I will tell it!" (p. 158). If Miller had let this scene in the Act when John had confessed it would have not made such an impact on Abigail as it did because if she had know he would have confessed she would have come up with a lie to protect herself from it. Proctor also threatens Abigail to tell the court how it is all a bunch of lies and she has never really seen any spirits, “Proctor: You will tell the court you are blind to spirits; you