Arthur Miller’s
Brenna Dooley- History
Elizabeth Levy- English
Key Facts
• Play:
- Tragedy- an event resulting in great
loss and misfortune
- Allegory-an extended metaphor
• Tone- Serious and Tragic
• Setting- 1692 Salem, Massachusetts
• Written- Early 1950s - America
Summary Overview
• Girls are caught dancing
with Tituba
• Abigail had affair
with Proctor
• Betty wakes up
screaming (bewitched?)
• Tituba admits to speaking with Devil &
blames others too
• Elizabeth grows jealous of Abigail: due to
affair with husband who won’t denounce
her.
• Elizabeth is accused and arrested for
witchcraft
– Proctor sends Mary to expose Abigail and friends
• Elizabeth is pregnant- spared for time
• Mary testifies against girls
– Girls accuse Mary of bewitching them
• Elizabeth lies to protect husband; Mary
accuses Proctor; he’s arrested
Tituba
Abigail Betty
Elizabeth
Proctor
Mary
• Abigail- runs away with
Parris’s money
• Hale- begs ‘witches’ to confess
• John Proctor- confesses; won’t
incriminate anyone else
– Retracts admission
• John Proctor & Others found guilty
are hung: 19 DEAD
Themes
• Intolerance
– Theocratic society
• Moral & State Laws are ONE
– God or Devil?
• Reputation
– Guilt by association
– Drives motives
• Hysteria
– Supplants logic
– Tears apart community
Motifs
• Empowerment
– Females
– African American
• Accusations/
Legal Proceedings
– Paris
– Witchcraft
• Witch Trials/ McCarthyism
– Both Confess and ‘name names’
Niece of
Reverend
Paris
Once servant
of Proctors
Abigail
Williams
Liar and
Manipulative
Honest &
Upright
Had an affair
John
Procter
Married to
Elizabeth
Hung for
Witchcraft
Virtuous
&
Cold
Major Characters
Background Info
•
•
•
•
The Crucible explores discrimination caused by hysteria during Salem
witch trials (Sept 1692). Hundreds of people were accused of witchcraft,
convicted, imprisoned, and executed
Joseph McCarthy (1908-1957) American politician
– 1950-Led campaign against Communist subversion
– His charges were often not well substantiated.
– United States Senate voted to censure him for his tactics.
February 1950- first attracted national attention with the charge that
Communists infiltrated the Dept. of State.
– Accusations never substantiated. During next three years he accused
various high-ranking officials of subversive activities.
– 1953- continued to probe alleged Communist activities as chairman of
the Senate subcommittee on investigations,
– April 1954- accused the secretary of the army of concealing
foreign espionage activities.
The parallelism of times makes one aware of:
– the cycle of history.
– results of the hysteria of both time periods.
– Literature as a form of expression,
sometimes designed to enlighten us of our past mistakes,
in the hopes that we can learn and not repeat them.
•
•
•
•
Blacklisting –(1947) refusal to hire people in entertainment industry because they
were thought to have a connection to Communism.
– Many were fired & could not find jobs.
– Blacklisting was secret, it is unknown how many hundreds of people were affected.
Created after the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC),
held public hearings investigating influences of Communists in the motion picture
industry. Some “friendly” witnesses told HUAC the names of other “Communists.”
Ten men (aka The Hollywood 10) called to testify, refused to talk, insisting the
questions violated their constitutional rights, went to prison in 1950 for anywhere from 6
mo.-1yr.
Within a few years, hundreds were blacklisted.
– Many refused to talk about their Communist connections or others, in the business.
Many people did have a Communist connection, though they had never done
anything illegal.
– During early years of the Cold War, anyone who was suspected of sympathizing
with Communists could lose his or her job.
• Transformed American theater at the
•
•
end of WWII.
Profoundly influenced by the
Depression and WWII
– Tapped into dissatisfaction and
unrest within America.
– Dramas considered the conscience
and redemption of the times, allowed
people an honest view of the
direction the country had taken.
Miller’s works were inspired by actual
events
• The Crucible
•
•
– 1st on Broadway (Jan 22, 1953)
– Expanded his voice and concern for
the well being of the working class.
– Within 3 years, Miller was called
before the HCUA, and convicted of
contempt for not cooperating.
During the difficult time- ended short
and turbulent marriage with Marilyn
Monroe.
Throughout 1960s and 1970s, he wrote
very little of note, he concentrated a bit
on the Holocaust, then comedies.
• What events and accusations started the hysteria that led up to
McCarthyism?
• What are some examples of discrimination during the accusations,
and to what degree do you think discrimination was a cause of the
hysteria?
• How did local, state, and federal government leaders respond to the
accusations and proceedings?
• How did the general public react to accusations of communism?
• Discuss the role that grudges and personal rivalries play in the witch
trial hysteria?
• How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously
powerless?
• Compare and contrast the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism.
• Understand the living conditions in Massachusetts in the 1700s
• Examine the dynamics of Puritanism in 1692
• Gather historical perspectives of American Colonial period
• Formulate a goal statement which indicates the principles or
concepts to be understood at the completion of the lesson
• Select the primary content base which will serve as the catalyst
for instruction
• Identify events, discoveries, and writings within other
disciplines that relate to the primary content base in a
meaningful way
• Determine the key points of intersection between the
disciplines which correspond to the established terminal goal
of instruction.
• Formulate instructional objectives
• Identify the necessary prerequisite knowledge that students
must possess in each discipline area you will address
• Formulate instructional strategies which will compel students
to use their knowledge in one discipline to better understand
and appreciate another