Roused by Abigail, betty "darts off the bed" and runs to a wall and "raises her arms as though to fly". This image becomes symbolic of the spirits being "sent out" to seek and torment good Christian souls. The image of the bird in court, which the girls claim to see in the rafters, also becomes an image of evil. The repetition of this flying image serves as a constant reminder to the audience of how much madness arose due to the girl's false visions. .
Silent action opens the second act. Proctor is shown as a man of passion and of heightened sences. He pauses when he hears his wife, elizabeth singing upstairs and then continues his action by seasoning the "bland" meal cooking over the fire. This serves as a symbolic representation of the disfunction between the couple. Their seperation is further accentuated when proctor stands at the doorway - Elizabeth watches him "as though she would speak but cannot". The sence of seperation is reapeated in the court house when Elizabeth looks to john for cues and is reprimanded. It is at that moment she tells a lie that selas proctors fate. .
A significant moment of silence and stillness occurs at the opening.
For each act, miller provides detailed description of stage designs, which communicate the plays main ideas through their visual symbolism. The directions miller has given along with sets communicate how miller felt about the destructive effects of a theocratic society. Act one reflects the puritan lifestyle. Narrow, leaded windowns suggest a restricted, refracted view of the world. The "clean sparness" and the "raw unmellowed" colours reflect actions and moods of the Salem townspeople. Proctors house is submissive with low ceilings and darkness yet holds warth and a promice of life. This image is menaced by proctor entering with his gun - a preminition of death. The Salem meeting/ court house - a solemn opprseeive room with "snugged" benches - represents entrapment, sunlight pours in but the windowns are beyond reach.