Discussion Topic
The metaphor "an everlasting funeral marches round your heart" in The Crucible, its relation to the historical context, and its emotional impact on the reader
Summary:
The metaphor "an everlasting funeral marches round your heart" in The Crucible represents the constant grief and paranoia in the characters' lives, reflecting the oppressive atmosphere of the Salem witch trials. Historically, it parallels the fear and suspicion during the McCarthy era. Emotionally, it evokes a sense of relentless despair and tension in the reader.
What does the metaphor "a funeral marches round your heart" mean in The Crucible?
In act two, Elizabeth encourages her husband to travel to Salem and expose the girls as frauds. When John discloses that he was in a room alone with Abigail, Elizabeth's attitude instantly changes and she appears as if she has lost hope in her husband. Elizabeth is still suspicious of John after his affair ended with Abigail and has not forgiven him. Elizabeth's reaction upsets John, who begins to criticize her for her callous attitude and unforgiving personality. John demands that his wife learn charity and resents the fact that he has tiptoed around his house for seven months since Abigail was dismissed from his home. He then tells Elizabeth,
"I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart" (Miller, 54).
John Proctor's metaphor of a funeral marching around Elizabeth's heart reflects her cold, solemn personality....
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Similar to a participant in a funeral procession, Elizabeth has been miserable and sad around the home after she discovered that John had an affair with Abigail. John resents his wife's unforgiving demeanor and metaphorically compares Elizabeth's heavy, callous demeanor to a funeral march around her heart. He is essentially saying that Elizabeth has a cold, bitter heart.
How does "an everlasting funeral marches round your heart" in The Crucible relate to the historical context and evoke reader's emotions?
The metaphor contained in the lines, "I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart" creates a heavy, unending, and somber mood. The funeral march imagery alone feels somber enough, but the choice of the word "unending" adds an air of unrelenting, inescapable heaviness.
The play is set during the Salem witch trials, which occurred in 1692–1693. At the time, society in Massachusetts was governed by Puritan leaders. The area had a reputation of being a contentious place to settle, as neighbors were constantly in dispute over things like property lines and grazing rights for their livestock. This oppressive theocracy ruling over a society regularly in discord made Salem a hostile place to live. Every aspect of people's lives was subject to intense scrutiny, and any accusation could result in death.
This metaphor is evocative of the social and historical context because it was a somber, tense time to live through. During the witch trials, two hundred people were accused of witchcraft, nineteen were hanged, and several died in prison. To be a part of that community would feel, during this time, like living through an "unending funeral march" as defendants were put to death and trials proceeded without due process.