Background Information:
The Crucible
Cooperative Activity
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What do you know about The Crucible?
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What do you know about the Salem Witch
Trials?
The Salem Witch Trials
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A series of trials in which citizens were
accused of witchcraft
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Considered a tragedy because so many
innocent people were accused and/or
killed
Why were there witch trials?
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Colonial America was very religious
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Government was based on religion
Witchcraft was a felony
Pact with the devil
 Making or doing the work of the devil
 Hanging was the sentence
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In Europe witches were burned
 Most dangerous crime
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The American Witch Trials
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Started in Salem Village, Mass
March 1, 1692
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Theories
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Abigail Williams and another girl were having
symptoms of an unknown cause
Smallpox
Puberty
Food poisoning
Contributing factors
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Fear of Indian attacks, God punishing them,
economic, political, social fears and feuds
The American Witch Trials cont’d
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Last trial in the court of Oyer and Terminer
November 25, 1692
 Public support had waned
 Unreliable evidence
 Respected people were defending accused
 Spectral evidence was no longer sufficient
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Governor Pelm
In November started the new courts
 Remaining not guilty
 Pardoned sentenced
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How many died?
19 people hanged
 1 pressed
 13 may have died in prison
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43 were “afflicted”
Arthur Miller (1915-2005)
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Considered the most
celebrated American
playwright of the 2
decades following WWII
Specialized in
commentary on American
way of life, moral downfall
of ordinary individual, and
tragedy in modern terms
Miller’s Early Life
Born in New York (10/17/1915)
 Raised in Jewish middle-class family
 Moved to Brooklyn in 1929
 Intense athlete in high school
 Education
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Graduated high school 1932
 Worked as shipping clerk and other odd jobs
 U of M
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Miller’s Early Career
Joined Federal Theatre Project
 Wrote radio scripts
 Toured army camps
 First Broadway play- 1944
 First novel- 1945
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Miller’s Mature and Later Career
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All My Sons- 1947
Death of a Salesman- 1949
Politics
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Left- wing supporter
1953 denied passport due to The Crucible
1956 accused of communism under House
Committee on Un-American Activities
Wrote After the Fall based on marriage to
Marilyn Monroe
Continued to publish, edit, and mentor
The Crucible
Setting- Salem, Mass 1692
 Themes
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Hypocrisy
 Guilt
 Revenge
 Hysteria
 Authority
 Integrity and courage
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