The CrucibleThe CrucibleArthur MillerArthur Miller

Arthur MillerArthur Miller

  Arthur Miller was an American Arthur Miller was an American playwright who was born in 1915.  playwright who was born in 1915.  His His Death of a SalesmanDeath of a Salesman won the won the Pulitzer prize in 1949.  Miller wrote Pulitzer prize in 1949.  Miller wrote The CrucibleThe Crucible in 1953 during the in 1953 during the McCarthy period when Americans McCarthy period when Americans were accusing each other of Pro-were accusing each other of Pro-Communist beliefs.  Many of Communist beliefs.  Many of Miller’s friends were being attacked Miller’s friends were being attacked as communists and in 1956, Miller as communists and in 1956, Miller himself was brought before the himself was brought before the House of Un-American Activities House of Un-American Activities Committee where he was found Committee where he was found guilty of beliefs in communism.  guilty of beliefs in communism.  The verdict was reversed in 1957 in The verdict was reversed in 1957 in an appeals court.   an appeals court.   

PlotPlot The CrucibleThe Crucible is set against the is set against the

backdrop of the mad witch backdrop of the mad witch hunts of the Salem witch hunts of the Salem witch trials in the late 17th trials in the late 17th century.  It is about a town, century.  It is about a town, after accusations from a few after accusations from a few girls, which begins a mad girls, which begins a mad hunt for witches that did not hunt for witches that did not exist.  Many townspeople exist.  Many townspeople were hanged on charges of were hanged on charges of witchcraft.  Miller brings out witchcraft.  Miller brings out the absurdity of the incident the absurdity of the incident with the theme of truth and with the theme of truth and righteousness.  The theme is righteousness.  The theme is conveyed through the conveyed through the struggles of Miller’s main struggles of Miller’s main character, John Proctor.character, John Proctor.

Plot (cont.)Plot (cont.) There is a feud between the Putnam and the Nurse There is a feud between the Putnam and the Nurse

families. They are both wealthy land owners and families. They are both wealthy land owners and the Nurses are very respected in town. These the Nurses are very respected in town. These families each supported a different minister. The families each supported a different minister. The Nurses supported Reverend Parris.Nurses supported Reverend Parris.

The Proctors preferred to worship in their own The Proctors preferred to worship in their own house. They felt that the church under Reverend house. They felt that the church under Reverend Parris was becoming too materialistic and drifted Parris was becoming too materialistic and drifted away from the purpose of the church. Rebecca away from the purpose of the church. Rebecca Nurse was the midwife to the Putnams, she aided Nurse was the midwife to the Putnams, she aided the delivery of the babies. Mrs Putnam had eight the delivery of the babies. Mrs Putnam had eight children, seven of which died, and the Putnams felt children, seven of which died, and the Putnams felt that Mrs Nurse had put a curse on the children that Mrs Nurse had put a curse on the children when they died.when they died.

Background InformationBackground Information The play occurs during the The play occurs during the

seventeenth and eighteenth seventeenth and eighteenth century Salem Witch trials and century Salem Witch trials and involves the Puritan beliefs and involves the Puritan beliefs and religion. They were very religious. religion. They were very religious. They felt that people could form They felt that people could form pacts with the devil. The devil pacts with the devil. The devil would do actions for them in this would do actions for them in this life and then when they died he life and then when they died he would have their souls. They would have their souls. They believed in witches and felt that believed in witches and felt that they could cast spells on people. they could cast spells on people. The Puritans believed that there The Puritans believed that there were certain signs of a witch.were certain signs of a witch.

CharactersCharacters

Each character in the Each character in the play has his own play has his own distinct quality.  Most distinct quality.  Most characters are characters are distinctly good or evil, distinctly good or evil, though few characters though few characters are really developed.  are really developed.  The reader is only The reader is only able to see one side of able to see one side of each character. each character. 

SettingSetting   The play takes place in The play takes place in

Salem, Massachusetts during Salem, Massachusetts during the 17 century.  Since this the 17 century.  Since this play is based on a true story, play is based on a true story, the setting is real. The events the setting is real. The events within this play occur in a within this play occur in a Puritan society where the Puritan society where the community is very community is very superstitious and gullible. Due superstitious and gullible. Due to these facts, the people are to these facts, the people are very fearful of witches. People very fearful of witches. People in the story were too in the story were too supernatural to believe the supernatural to believe the girls in the play. girls in the play. 

StyleStyle   Miller’s style is very Miller’s style is very

simple.  He uses simple simple.  He uses simple sentences and words which sentences and words which are easy to understand.  He are easy to understand.  He brings out the evil quality of brings out the evil quality of Abigail and the other girls Abigail and the other girls as well as the gullibility of as well as the gullibility of the judges.  While using a the judges.  While using a simple style, Miller simple style, Miller maintains the suspense in maintains the suspense in the plot.  The dialogues of the plot.  The dialogues of his characters are created his characters are created to sound like actual to sound like actual speech. speech. 

ThemeTheme

The theme of the play is rising over The theme of the play is rising over adversity and standing for truth. Through adversity and standing for truth. Through Proctor’s struggle, Miller displays the Proctor’s struggle, Miller displays the struggles within each of our own hearts.  struggles within each of our own hearts.  Many times we witness some sort of wrong-Many times we witness some sort of wrong-doing to another person and choose to not doing to another person and choose to not get involved.  However, some people fight get involved.  However, some people fight to do what is right, just like John Proctor in to do what is right, just like John Proctor in the story. Would you quit after only saving the story. Would you quit after only saving someone close to you, like Proctor could someone close to you, like Proctor could have done, or would you go for the entire have done, or would you go for the entire community as Proctor did? community as Proctor did?

ConclusionConclusion The story reminds its readers of an The story reminds its readers of an

ugly blemish on human history.  It ugly blemish on human history.  It reminds us that man is not perfect, reminds us that man is not perfect, and that we can make mistakes.  and that we can make mistakes.  However, even with these mistakes, However, even with these mistakes, we can overcome them by making we can overcome them by making what is wrong right.  The sufferings what is wrong right.  The sufferings become to the sufferer like a become to the sufferer like a crucible. crucible.

The Salem Witch TrialsThe Salem Witch Trials

The people of Salem who The people of Salem who believed in witches were believed in witches were no different from their no different from their counterparts in England counterparts in England and the rest of Europe. and the rest of Europe. Belief in the existence of Belief in the existence of witches had been witches had been prevalent throughout the prevalent throughout the earlier centuries and earlier centuries and continued into the 17th continued into the 17th century. Salem was century. Salem was simply a microcosm of simply a microcosm of the larger macrocosm. the larger macrocosm.

McCarthy HearingsMcCarthy Hearings

During the McCarthy hearings (1950’s) During the McCarthy hearings (1950’s) many innocent people were accused of being traitors many innocent people were accused of being traitors (communists, mainly) to our country and, while they (communists, mainly) to our country and, while they were not physically harmed, their professional and were not physically harmed, their professional and personal lives were ruined by this adverse publicity, personal lives were ruined by this adverse publicity, which was often untrue. During this period also (as in which was often untrue. During this period also (as in Salem) many supposed “good people” participated in Salem) many supposed “good people” participated in the accusations against others because they were the accusations against others because they were afraid that if they refused to do so their own lives would afraid that if they refused to do so their own lives would be ruined. Miller is thus drawing a parallel between two be ruined. Miller is thus drawing a parallel between two periods of hysteria in our country, though far apart in periods of hysteria in our country, though far apart in time, that are dangerously close in ideology. (Guidon time, that are dangerously close in ideology. (Guidon study materials)study materials)

Historical ApplicationsHistorical Applications The McCarthy trials were in full force when Miller wrote The McCarthy trials were in full force when Miller wrote

this story, so this story closely relates to these trials. this story, so this story closely relates to these trials. During the 1950's, Senator Joseph McCarthy accused During the 1950's, Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many American leaders of being communists. This led many American leaders of being communists. This led to many unfounded accusations of people being to many unfounded accusations of people being communist party members. Some people believed communist party members. Some people believed McCarthy because they were fearful of communism McCarthy because they were fearful of communism and he played on those fears. McCarthy was, in effect, and he played on those fears. McCarthy was, in effect, conducting "witch hunts". If any person opposed the conducting "witch hunts". If any person opposed the Salem Witch trials, he or she was accused of being a Salem Witch trials, he or she was accused of being a witch. If any person opposed the McCarthy witch. If any person opposed the McCarthy investigations, he or she was accused of being a investigations, he or she was accused of being a communist.communist.