Examples of irony used in The Crucible?

1. Dramatic Irony: The audience knows the truth about the witchcraft accusations, but the characters in the play do not. This creates a sense of suspense and tension, as the audience anticipates the consequences of the characters' actions.

2. Situational Irony: Abigail accuses other innocent people of witchcraft to distract from her own affair with John Proctor, ironically accusing others of the same crime she has committed.

3. Verbal Irony: In Act II, Abigail pretends to be afflicted by spirits and accuses Mary Warren of witchcraft. Mary protests that Abigail is lying, but Abigail responds, "I hope you do not doubt my judgment." This is ironic because Abigail is the one who is actually lying, and she is accusing Mary of lying.

4. Cosmic Irony: The innocent characters in the play, such as John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse, are ultimately punished, while the guilty characters, such as Abigail and Thomas Putnam, are allowed to escape. This is ironic because it goes against our expectations of justice and morality.

5. Historical Irony: The Salem witch trials were based on real events that took place in 1692. However, the play was written by Arthur Miller in 1953, during the McCarthy era. Miller's play is an allegory of the McCarthy era, and it uses the Salem witch trials to comment on the dangers of mass hysteria and the abuse of power.