Arthur Miller’s famous play “The Crucible” which takes place during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 is arguably the most forceful allegory of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s “Red Scare” in the 1950s. The story begins with a group of young girls as they escape to the woods to perform a pagan...ritual outlawed by their strict Puritanical religious society. To avoid blame, they claimed to have seen the Devil, and that other members of society serve Him by practicing witchcraft. The town is terrified of their claims and not until many accused witches chose to hang rather than confess did the hysteria cease. Many samples of essays on this topic exist. Use these papers to help write an outline for your essay which should include and introduction, body, and conclusion.
Revenge can be taken in many different ways, such as fights, lies , arguments, etc. In Arthur Miller’s Crucible, the theme of revenge plays a major role. He based this book on the Salem Witch Trials which took place in the early 1950’s. All the...
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Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible and Geraldine Brooks’ novel Year of Wonders are both works that explore the treatment of individuals under oppressive theocratic ruling. Both Miller’s and Brooks’ works are aligned with key themes of superstition, suspicion of witchcraft, and unknown cause of diseases...
The famous philosopher Aristotle formally defined the parameters of the tragic hero in his work On Poetics (335 B.C.). Aristotle based his tragic hero model on Oedipus, a king from Greek mythology. He defined the tragic hero as a man of noble birth who has...
Arthur Miller confronts the “weight of truth,” “weight of authority,” and the “weight of law” in The Crucible. This play expresses the different complications that come along with having to bear each “weight.” Many characters in the play conform to the demands of the church by...
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How can a trial turn a religious minister into a man separated from a town’s power structure? In The Crucible, Reverend Hale is sent to Salem to deal with an alleged outbreak of witchcraft. At the beginning of the play, Hale is a confidant man,...
Within the Puritan society of the seventeenth century, the fear of the Devil fueled the actions of individuals; this idea is reflected in two significant works of literature, A Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks and The Crucible by Arthur Miller. This idea of devilish...
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In Arthur Miller’s powerful stage play The Crucible, written in 1953 as a metaphor for the McCarthy hearings on communism in America, the idea of conscience is greatly emphasized in many of the main characters. Miller himself once said that The Crucible focuses on “the...
When The Crucible opened on January 22, 1953, audiences greeted it with lukewarm applause. Critics did what they do best by berating the new play. What is now arguably the most influential allegorical play on the subject of Communism written during the Cold War era,...
In his classic drama The Crucible, Arthur Miller chronicles the horror of the Salem witch trials, an embarrassing episode of colonial America’s history. At first reading, one might only view Miller’s work as a vivid account of the tragedy of theocracy in America’s late seventeenth...
Composers represent the ultimate powerlessness of ordinary people through the ways in which they explore the complex and dynamic relationship between people and politics. Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” written in a communist fearing period within American history known as the “Red Scare”, aims to...
“Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.” -Baltasar Gracian. Anger is one of the strongest feelings and can cause one to do and say things drastically out of character. The events that take place in The Crucible...
During the era of the Salem Witch Trials America turned into a bloodbath fueled by fear and greed. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible the puritan town of Salem and it’s people go through dramatic changes, especially the main character of the play John Proctor....
“The Crucible”, written by Arthur Miller explores the madness of the Salem witch trials of 1692. The story revolves around the characters John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris, the 10 girls and others. The judges play an important role for which they possess...
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Lies In The Crucible It is a golden rule in our society that honesty is the best policy. Throughout childhood we are taught that in all situations, it is best to tell the truth. This rule of honesty in all circumstances is seldom followed for...
The Crucible is a play based on a true story by Arthur Miller. It is set in 1692, in a small village called Salem, which, Due to a series of events started to have witch trials. The story counts with many changes leading to an...
The Crucible vs. McCarthyism During the early 1690s in Salem, Massachusetts, witch trials took place. Salem was a Puritan society at the time, which meant that there was a strict moral code that encompassed Puritan lifestyle. The notion of the Devil brought fear to Puritans...
Subtext is the underlying idea or meaning, conveyed by a playwright without being explicitly state in order to a more thorough understanding of the themes of the play and the characters’ motivations. In Arthur Miller’s dramatic play The Crucible and William Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado...
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“Ignorance and its denial will, sad to say, lead us down the same road as it did in all past history.” – Jordan Maxwell. In history there have been many events that have shaped the world we live in. Two major events that happened were...
Revenge and Retaliation Spite, revenge and curiosity can all be deadly sins. Unfortunately, The Crucible’s Ann Putnam gives up her soul to all three. In the Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts, such contemptuous actions can create complications. Goody Putnam is described as “… a twisted...
Abigail Williams, Reverend John Hale, Reverend Samuel Parris, John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Thomas Danforth, Mary Warren, John Hathorne, Giles Corey, Rebecca Nurse
Based on
McCarthyism allegory, which stands for the American prosecution of people accused of being communists.
Historical reference to the Salem witch trials, which became a mental mirror of political hysteria.
Plot
It is based around a fictional story that speaks of Salem witch trials that take place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony with the young village girls being accused of witchcraft. As the girls are being caught by the local minister after being seen with the black slave named Tituba, one of the girls falls into a coma, which is seen as witchcraft. This Salem witch trial acts as the allegory of people being accused of Communist views.
The Purpose
One of the key themes in The Crucible is the aspect of goodness because every character in the book is concerned about religious factors and the ways how they will be judged by God after they die. It brings out a distorted view in terms of how far a person can go by accusing others or giving prompts of someone’s being wrong or bad. As the topics of conspiracy and being a silent witness clash in the book, it shows various comparisons of the Bay Colony to post WW2 society and the influence of the Communists. It can be approached as a reflection that one should use when thinking of what being honest and “finding one’s goodness” means.
Interesting facts
FBI wanted the author to change one of his screenplays to make his script PRO-American by not making gangsters look like Communists.
Miller's friends were also persecuted as they were asked to name those people they knew who could be the Communists.
Miller tried to use as many facts as he could when speaking of Salem in 1692.
The linguistic that is used in the play was converted to various speech patterns that have been used in the past and the territory.
The Crucible did not have Broadway success in the beginning.
Arthur Miller's passport was denied in Europe as he was told to leave since his views were against the national interests.
The play has turned Salem into a popular tourist destination.
Quotes
"Until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven."
"I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it."
"It is rare for people to be asked the question which puts them squarely in front of themselves."
"A child's spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after it; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back."
"We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!"
Why is this topic important
One of the key themes in The Crucible is the aspect of goodness because every character in the book is concerned about religious factors and the ways how they will be judged by God after they die. It brings out a distorted view in terms of how far a person can go by accusing others or giving prompts of someone’s being wrong or bad. As the topics of conspiracy and being a silent witness clash in the book, it shows various comparisons of the Bay Colony to post WW2 society and the influence of the Communists. It can be approached as a reflection that one should use when thinking of what being honest and “finding one’s goodness” means.
Why should this topic be used
It is an important subject when writing about inconsistencies and judgment in our society. The Crucible is a great reflection of various political agendas, religion, and social bias. Reading through the play, we are also looking at ourselves, which is why the book can be compared to any social injustice or any act where stereotypes have been used. You can use this book as a way to implement quotes when comparing anything from cheating to honesty.
Who had an affair with John Proctor?
Abigail Williams, the main protagonist, had an affair with John Proctor.
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