The Crucible
Arthur Miller and McCarthyism
Arthur Miller
• Some biographical information:
• Born in 1915, New York City
• Worked his way through college at
University of Michigan
• Began career as a playwright in 1938,
writing plays to be performed on the
radio
• Two most important plays are The
Crucible and Death of a Salesman
• Won Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949
• Was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe
• Testified before the HUAC in 1956
• Most popular years were the 1950-1960s
McCarthyism
McCarthyism: A campaign
against Communists in the
U.S. government and other
institutions carried out
under Senator Joseph
McCarthy.
Communism: a system of
government, which
advocates for the
elimination of private
property; all individual
rights are take away, and the
government own everything
Cold War: the state of
political hostility that
existed between the
Soviet Union (Russia)
and the United Sates
from 1945-1990
Historical Fiction
The Crucible is an example of historical fiction. The main plot of the
play and many of the characters are based on a true event from
history, although much of the dialogue and some of the action is
created by the author for effect.
Components of Historical Fiction:
• The author uses people and events from the
past to explain or explore a situation in his
current society.
• Words spoken by the characters reflect the
thoughts, values and concerns of the people
during the specific time period.
• Any historical information that may be
unfamiliar to the reader is explained by the
writer.
The McCarthy Era
• The McCarthy Era was during
the 1950s, during which time
thousands of Americans were
accused of being a
Communist.
• An accusation of Communist
usually brought about the
assumption that one was a
spy for the Soviet Union.
• Those who were accused
of being a Communist were
blacklisted.
• Blacklist: a list or persons
or organizations that have
brought about disapproval or
suspicion and thus are
isolated
The HUAC
Once the accusation of
Communist was rendered, a
person had to testify before
Congress with the House of
Un-American Activities.
The House of Un-American
Activities, led by Senator
Joseph McCarthy, was a
committee in Congress that
investigated allegations of
Communist activity
The HUAC continued…
Red Scare: was the period of general fear of
Communists; it was called “red” because that was
the color associated with Communism.
Primary targets of the Red Scare:
• Government employees
• Entertainment industry
• Educators
• Union activist
More Terms of the McCarthy Era:
• Hollywood 10: A group
of movie producers,
directors, and
screenwriters who
refused to answer
questions and testify
before Congress about
Communist allegations
– Once a person was
blacklisted, his or her career
was over, and it would be
impossible to find work
again
• Witch Hunt: The
authorities encouraging
citizens to spy on one
another and report any
suspicious activities
Mass Hysteria
Mass Hysteria is a condition in
which a large group of people
exhibit the same state of violent
mental agitation
It is this mass hysteria that was
occurring during the 1950s when
Miller first wrote The Crucible.
Through his work, he attempts to
draw metaphors between 1950s
American and 1692 Salem,
Massachusetts.
Definition of Crucible
There are two main definitions of the word “crucible”:
1) A container made of a substance that can resist great
heat
2) A severe test or trial
The Crucible was Arthur Miller’s
way of protesting the HUAC. He
compared the Communist
hearings to the witch hunts of
Salem, where gossip, rumors and
fear served as enough evidence to
convict people.
Requirements of Mass Hysteria
• Regional conditions must be conducive to such an
episode (the forest in Salem)
• Communication must spread terror (local gossip)
• Social and economic stress must lead to a
willingness to believe outlandish reports
• A small event leads to many reports of an
exaggerated nature
• Outbreaks lead to breakdowns in official control,
the authorities are too weak to handle the
hysteria
The Proctors
John Proctor is a local farmer who
lives just outside of town. He is
stern and very blunt with
whomever he speaks. John
Proctor (along with Rebecca
Nurse) represents the voice of
reason in the play).
He is covering up the fact that he
had an affair with Abigail
Williams
Elizabeth Proctor is John’s wife
who fired Abigail when she
discovered their affair. Elizabeth
is very virtuous, but very cold
and distant towards everyone.
The Parris Household
Abigail Williams was once the servant of the Proctors.
Although dismissed from their service, she still lusts after
John (with whom she had an affair) and hates Elizabeth for
firing her. She is very smart and a very talented liar.
Reverend Parris is the minister in Salem. He is paranoid,
power-hungry and very concerned about building his
position in the community.
Betty Parris is Reverend Parris’ ten-year-old daughter. She
falls into a trance once she is caught dancing in the forest
with other young girls. Her “illness” first fuels the rumor of
witchcraft.
The Nurses
Francis Nurse is a wealthy and
influential man in Salem. He
is well respected by most of
the community, but he is an
enemy of Thomas Putnam
and his wife.
Rebecca Nurse is a wise and
sensible elderly lady who is
held in great regard by the
community. She is known
for her skills in soothing
most ailments.
The Putnams
Thomas Putnam is a wealthy and
influential citizen in Salem. He
holds a grudge against Francis
Nurse for preventing his brotherin-law from being elected to the
office of minister. He uses the
witchcraft trials to increase his
own wealth
Ann Putnam has given birth to eight
children, but only one has
survived. She is convinced that
her children all died due to evil
spirits
Ruth Putman is their
only surviving child. She
was a part of the group
of girls that was caught
dancing in the forest.
The Coreys
Giles Corey is an elderly
farmer who is famous for his
tendency to file lawsuits.
Martha Corey: She is
George’s third wife (the
previous ones have all
passed on). Her reading
habits lead to her arrest and
conviction for witchcraft
The Local Authorities
Reverend John Hale is a young minister who has the
reputation of being an expert on witchcraft. Even
though his arrival sets the hysteria in motion, he later
attempts to save the lives of those accused
Judge Danforth is the deputy governor of Massachusetts;
he is convinced that he is doing the right thing by
ridding the colony of witches
Judge Hathorne (Our buddy Nathaniel’s ancestor) is one
of the judges who presides over the trials
Other Key Characters
Tituba is Reverend Parris’ slave
from Barbados. She teaches the
girls certain tasks that are
considered magic and witchcraft
Mercy Lewis and Mary Warren
along with Abigail Williams,
Betty Parris and Ruth Putnam
are the group of girls around
whom so much of this hysteria is
centered.