The Crucible by Arthur Miller
1692
Early in the year 1692, in the small
Massachusetts village of Salem, a collection of
girls fell ill, falling victim to hallucinations and
seizures. In extremely religious Puritan New
England, frightening or surprising occurrences
were often attributed to the devil or his cohorts.
The unfathomable sickness spurred fears of
witchcraft, and it was not long before the girls,
and then many other residents of Salem, began
to accuse other villagers of consorting with
devils and casting spells. Old grudges and
jealousies spilled out into the open, fueling the
atmosphere of hysteria. The Massachusetts
government and judicial system, heavily
influenced by religion, rolled into action. Within
a few weeks, dozens of people were in jail on
charges of witchcraft. By the time the fever had
run its course, in late August 1692, nineteen
people (and two dogs) had been convicted and
hanged for witchcraft. The episode is one of the
most notorious cases of mass hysteria, and has
been used in political rhetoric and popular
literature as a vivid cautionary tale about the
dangers of isolationism, religious extremism,
false accusations and lapses in due process.
1947 - 1950’s
Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communism proved
the spark to propel the United States into a dramatic
anti-Communist fervor during the first tense years of
the Cold War with the Soviet Union (1947-1950’s). Led
by McCarthy, special congressional committees conducted highly controversial investigations intended to
root out Communist sympathizers in the United
States. As with the alleged witches of Salem, suspected Communists were encouraged to confess and
identify other Red sympathizers as means of escaping
punishment. The policy resulted in a whirlwind of
accusations. As people realized that they might be
condemned as Communists regardless of their
innocence, many “cooperated,” attempting to save
themselves through false confessions, creating the
image that the United States was overrun with
Communists and perpetuating the hysteria. The
entertainment industry, in which Miller worked, was
one of the targets of these “witch hunts,” as their
opponents termed them. Miller refused to give in to
questioning. Those who were revealed, falsely or
legitimately, as Communists, and those who refused
to incriminate their friends, saw their careers suffer,
as they were blacklisted from potential jobs for many
years afterward.
1953
More than two centuries after the Salem
Witch Hunts, Arthur Miller was born in
New York City on October 17, 1915. His
career as a playwright began while he was
a student at the University of Michigan.
Several of his early works won prizes. In
1949, Miller wrote Death of a Salesman,
which won the Pulitzer Prize and
transformed Miller into a national
sensation. Many critics described Death of
a Salesman as the first great American
tragedy, and Miller gained an associated
eminence as a man who understood the
deep essence of the United States.
Drawing on research on the witch trials he
had conducted while an undergraduate,
Miller composed The Crucible in the early
1950s. At the time of its first performance,
in January of 1953, critics and cast alike
perceived The Crucible as a direct attack on
McCarthyism (the policy of sniffing out
Communists). Its comparatively short run,
compared with those of Miller’s other
works, was blamed on anti-Communist
fervor.
Throughout The Crucible, HOW are people ACCUSED of being _________?
In the line above, several different words will be used, such as: witch, “bad woman,” “bad minister,” etc. You must be SPECIFIC here! What
exact ACTION or Words are used to accuse a person of a “crime” (the accusation does NOT need to be made in a court – it could be just said to
another person) ? Note who was accused & who did the accusing. Look for as many instances as you can find – the more evidence the better.
Who is
accused?
Betty
Williams
Tituba
Reverend
Parris
Martha
Corey
Giles
Corey
What is the
crime they are
accused of?
Who does
accusing?
WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM?
Who is
accused?
Abigail
Williams
Elizabeth
Proctor
John
Proctor
What is the
crime they are
accused of?
Who does
Accusing?
WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM?
Influence of Society/Culture
What “prejudices” existed in Puritan society
against the “accused”?
How do you PROVE “it”?
What is a crucible?
(1) A severe test, as of patience or belief;
a trial. (2) a container for melting or
purifying metals
What evidence is there that the title “The
Crucible” matches the plot of the play?
How could Puritan society’s text “Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God” connect to The Crucible?
Why is “justice” (see above) blindfolded?
What “prejudices” existed in 1950’s American
society against the “accused”?
Similarities between McCarthyism and The Crucible
McCarthyism: In the 1940s and 1950s Americans feared the encroachment of Communism. The Soviet Union was growing in power and the threat of a nuclear
holocaust was on the forefront of American minds. Eastern Europe had become a conglomerate of Communist satellite nations. Throw in China
and Americans began to feel they were surrounded by a Communist threat. Paranoia ensued.
The Crucible: Salem established itself as a religious community in the midst of evil. Salemites considered the forest the domain of the devil. Salem was
surrounded by forest. Paranoia ensued.
McCarthyism: Joseph McCarthy, U.S. Senator, made unsubstantiated claims that more than 200 "card carrying" members of the Communist party had
infiltrated the United States government. He had no proof.
The Crucible: Delusional girls make unsubstantiated claims about the existence of witches in Salem. They have no proof.
McCarthyism: McCarthy's unsubstantiated claims ruined lives and led to increased hostility.
The Crucible: The girls unsubstantiated claims ruin lives and lead to increased hostility in Salem.
McCarthyism: Those who were accused were assumed guilty, put on trial, and expected to divulge the names of other Communist sympathizers. Failure to do
so led to sanctions.
The Crucible: Those who are accused are assumed guilty, put on trial, expected to confess, and expected to accuse others of being witches. Failure to do so
leads to death.
McCarthyism: The media were not willing to stand up to Senator McCarthy for fear of being accused of being a Communist.
The Crucible: Townspeople are not willing to stand up to the court for fear of being accused of being a witch.
McCarthyism: Arthur Miller was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee and subsequently blacklisted.
The Crucible: Arthur Miller wrote it.
One of the most important themes in The Crucible involves similarities between McCarthyism.
Symbolism in The Crucible
The Doll: The doll found on Elizabeth Proctor's shelf is a traditional symbol of voodoo and witchcraft. In The Crucible, the doll (as well as Rebecca Nurse)
symbolizes the transformation of good to evil: dolls, in a normal society, represent childhood innocence and bring happiness. In Salem, dolls
represent evil. This extends to the Puritan government and church, both being entrusted to protect its citizens, yet both doing the opposite.
The Stones: Giles Corey refuses to make an official plea in court. In order to persuade him to make a plea, officials of the court stack concrete stones on him
and eventually crush him. The stones symbolize the weight of Salem's sins that are crushing the good in its society.
Elizabeth Proctor's Pregnancy: Elizabeth's execution is stalled on account of her pregnancy. This represents hope that the future may be different.
The Boiling Cauldron: The controversy begins with Salem girls running wild through the forest around a cauldron of boiling water. This cauldron symbolizes the
wildness of the girls.
John Proctor's Leaving the Courtroom: This occurs in the movie. After Proctor is accused of witchcraft, he runs into a small pond and with arms spread shouts,
"God is dead." Proctor is in water, symbolic of baptism, and his arms are spread, symbolic of the Biblical Christ on the
cross. Proctor sacrifices himself for the good of Salem and to honor those saints (Rebecca and Martha) who refuse to lie.
The Witch Trials: In addition to the similarities between McCarthyism and The Crucible already discussed, the trials symbolize the effect of intolerance,
extremism, and hatred.
The Forest: Puritans believed that the forest was the devil's dominion. They failed to recognize, however, that Salem's evil and destruction came from within.
The forest, therefore symbolizes the evil present in all humans.
The Dangers of Hysteria
In order to fully understand the events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials, one must understand the fear that pervaded its town's inhabitants. The Puritans of
Salem, and other Puritan communities, built what they considered "a city on the hill"; that is, they sought to establish a community that would shine as a
beacon of God's greatness to the world. They believed it was their duty to fend off the evil forces which surrounded them. What they failed to realize,
unfortunately, is that "God's city on a hill" can only be destroyed from within. The Puritans believed that the woods and the woodland inhabitants (Indians or
Native Americans) belonged to the devil. The small town of Salem was surrounded by woods; therefore, the city of Salem existed as a holy place in the midst of
the devil's territory, and those surrounded by the enemy were always on the defense, always on guard against evil forces, real or imaginary.
It is under these circumstances that something as absurd as a witch hunt can occur (think media sensationalism in modern society and how it feeds fears). Girls
are dancing in the devil's forest (the modern equivalent of going to a rave or hanging out in a crack house or imagine if your house were surrounded by crack
houses). They get sick. Someone screams witchcraft (drug addiction to continue the analogy) and the chief of stamping out witchcraft, Reverend Hale, shows
up. Next step hysteria. People are no longer thinking logically. Those entrusted to keep order make it worse. The next thing you know prominent citizens are
being hanged for witchcraft.
The Importance of Reputation
In Salem, there is no such thing as a private act. Private sins are punished publicly. Church attendance is recorded publicly. Everything a citizen does is known
by all. It is within this context that one's reputation becomes important. John Proctor recognizes this. Proctor knows the girls are lying. He knows the trials are
fraudulent, yet he withholds vital information in order to protect his reputation. In a town like Salem, an adulterous affair unleashes severe punishment and
severe humiliation. Proctor's eventual confession is an integral part of his redemption. He realizes truth is more important than reputation.
He, of course, is not the only one worried about reputation. As Reverend Parris's daughter lies near death, he is concerned about how the girls dancing in the
woods naked affects his reputation. He suspects Abigail's intentions, yet glosses over her faults because a relative of his having an affair with a married man
would sully his reputation. In Act IV, Parris begs Danforth to suspend the trials, not because he wants justice, but he fears the townspeople.
The Dangers of Extremism and Intolerance
Societies that foster human rights violations have much in common. These commonalities find their origin in extremism and intolerance. Nazi Germany, for
example, stressed extreme nationalism and the inferiority of Jews; Stalinist Russia stressed the tenets of communism and the persecution of all those who
opposed it. Strict adherents in all these societies are able to act in such a manner because they believe they are doing good.
The community of Salem is no different. It was a theocracy; those who opposed the government, therefore, were opposing God, and those who opposed God
must be punished accordingly; hence, when John Proctor, Giles Corey, and others spoke out against the trials, they were not just being accused of
overthrowing the court, they were being accused of overthrowing God. In other words, one must be completely loyal to the theocratic government or he or
she would be ripe for a witchcraft accusation.
As with most authoritarian regimes, those who were a little different were immediately suspected of rebellion. In The Crucible, those who are initially accused
are the town's outcasts. It is easy for the citizens to believe in their guilt. It's not until the town's respected citizens become part of the witch hunts that people
begin to doubt the trial. At that point, however, it is too late.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/52748-mccarthyism-and-the-crucible/
AP Exam Practice: “Analyzing use of rhetorical techniques and strategies used by author…”
What EXACT words are being written
about? (remember to put in quote
marks; for this practice, give page number
and line too)
What rhetorical
technique/ strategy
are these words an
example of? (just
need to give term here)
HOW EXACTLY do these words fit the
definition of the technique/strategy?
SO WHAT? WHY is using this rhetorical
technique/strategy important to the text?