The Crucible
Background
LA 3
Mrs. Trippy
Puritans
• Fled England to the New World to be
able to practice their religion
– Persecuted others in the New
World for not having the same
religion.
• The New England Primer New England
Primer video
– The text used to teach children to read
and write, about religion, and about
morals.
– Used in New England until the 1800s
Persecutedmistreated,
victimized
The Salem Witch
Trials of 1692
• Because of the harsh conditions the Puritans
endured, there was safety in numbers.
• This caused a fear of anything different than the
common belief
• The causes included politics, religion, family feuds,
economics, and the imaginations and fears of the
people.
• Causes of the Salem Witch Trials
Arthur Miller
the Playwright
• Wrote such famous plays as The Death
of a Salesman and The Misfits
• Wrote The Crucible in 1953
• Earned many honors and awards
including: The Pulitzer Prize (writing
award) and 7 Tony awards (theater
honor)!
Arthur Miller the
Communist?
Subpoenaed- to
be called by the
court to defend
accusations
Convicted- to be
found guilty of a
crime
• In 1956 and 1957, Miller was
subpoenaed by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee
and was convicted of contempt of
Congress
– Miller refused to identify writers
believed to hold Communist
sympathies.
– In 1958 Court of Appeals
overturned his conviction
The Witch Hunt of the 1950s
•Senator John McCarthy headed
a department called the House
Un-American Activities
Committee
•He claimed that he had a list of
“members of the Communist
party and members of a spy ring”
•His reign of terror was a modern
day “Witch Hunt” known as the
“Red Scare” or “McCarthyism”
•McCarthy "Witch hunts"
The Witch Hunt of the 1950s
• Comprehend- In your groups, first read your
assigned article(s) and then answer the questions in
complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper.
• Mix it up! Share your information with another
group with a different topic and discuss the answers
to the questions
• Record- As each group shares answers and
information on their topic, write down the answers
on your paper.
Communist Connection to
Salem Witch Trials
• Miller saw a parallel between his
experience with the “Red Scare” of the
1950s and the witch hunts and trials of
Salem, Mass in 1692
Parallelcomparison,
similarity
The Big Questions!
1. What are the similarities between the
Salem Witch Trials and the Trials of the Red
Scare?
2. What was the author’s purpose of writing
this play?
3. How did the Puritan culture provoke the
witch trials?
4. How do the characters’ motives affect the
plot?