The Crucible
An Introduction
Synopsis
Senator
Joseph
McCarthy
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, was written in 1953. The
events in the play are based on real-life situations that
occurred in the 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts. The story is
about how a town can be thrown into hysteria because of the
actions of a few young girls. The story details how serious
events are fueled by superstition and false accusations. The
Crucible is an allegory, where characters and events are
symbols for something else. In the story, some of the
characters are accused of witchcraft. The idea of witchcraft
was so frightening to people in the 17th century that the only
way to deal with it was to put those accused to death. In the
1950s, Communism was perceived in the same way by
American society. Those who believed in Communism were
accused of treason. Arthur Miller uses the Salem witch trials
as a commentary on modern day events.
Novel Setting
The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year,
1692. In this time period, Salem is predominately Puritan.
Puritans fled England to escape religious persecution and to
establish their own colony where they would be free to worship as
they pleased. Growing numbers of non-Puritan English merchants
also populate the village, however, and this leads to tension and
insecurity. Puritans do not believe in recreation for amusement
and are rather strict in their belief. Wilderness borders Salem on
the west. Fear of Indian attacks, wild animals, and the other
unknown evils that the Puritans believe inhabit the forest lead to
a climate of unrest and fear. You may notice the seemingly
grammatically incorrect speech in the play. Forms of the verb be
were used differently in the 1600s than today. In addition to
grammatical changes, the title “Goody” may seem odd to you.
“Goody” is equal to our modern day title of “Mrs.” and does not
indicate the moral integrity of the character mentioned.
The People
Reverend Samuel Parris:
Controversial and insecure
minister of Salem.
Tituba: Negro slave brought from Barbados
by Parris. She is accused of witchcraft first
and calls out the names of others in an
attempt to
save herself.
Abigail Williams: 17-year-old niece of
Parris. An orphan, she lives with her uncle.
She leads the girls in their accusations.
The People
John Proctor: Farmer and protagonist
in the play. He is a tragic hero and the
first to expose the girls as frauds.
Elizabeth Proctor: Dutiful, faithful, though often
chilly, wife of John Proctor.
Deputy Governor: Danforth
The People
Reverend John Hale: An expert on
witches called in from neighboring
Beverly by Parris.
The “Afflicted”
Mercy Lewis: Servant for the Putnams. She is friends
with Abigail and is one of the “afflicted.”
Betty Parris: 10-year-old daughter of Rev. Parris.
One of the first girls to be“afflicted.”
Susanna Walcott: Abigail’s friend, although slightly
younger. She is one of the “afflicted” girls.
Mary Warren: Meek and insecure servant for the Proctors. Also
friends with Abigail and is one of the “afflicted.”
The People
Mrs. Ann Putnam: Wife of Thomas Putnam.
Thomas Putnam: Wealthy husband of Ann Putnam
Rebecca Nurse: Elderly, sweet, respected figure of 72
years. She seems to be the voice of reason and calm in
the community.
Giles Corey: Cantankerous, elderly gentleman of 83 years who
often sues his neighbors. He is a man of principles and dies
rather than sell out a friend.
Francis Nurse: Husband of Rebecca. A sweet, elderly
man.
Ezekiel Cheever: Clerk of the court that serves arrest
warrants.
The People
Deputy Governor of MA: He presides over the
hearings and is more interested in order than
justice.
Sarah Good: Homeless woman, one of the first
accused. She confesses in a hope to save herself.
Hopkins: Jail guard.
Communism
• What is Communism?
• a theory or system of social organization based
on the holding of all property in common, actual
ownership being ascribed to the community as a
whole or to the state.2.(often initial capital
letter ) a system of social organization in which
all economic and social activity is controlled by a
totalitarian state dominated by a single and selfperpetuating political party.
• Anti-Communism Propaganda (1948)
McCarthy
Salem Witch Trials
Arthur Miller
Putting it All Together
• McCruciblism
Our Assignment
Now, we are going to use information in the following video about the
real Salem Witch trials to practice writing a Task 1 essay. Task 1 tests us
on our ability to listen, take notes and then write an essay based solely
on our notes. Normally you would hear a passage twice, but for our
purposes, we are only going to see the video once. The video runs about
15 minutes and you must take notes while you watch. Listen for:
1. Important dates
2. Important names
3. Major events
Your task: To take notes, and using those notes write an essay on the
spiraling events that led to the deaths of dozens of people in Salem,
MA during 1690’s.
Salem_Witch_Trials.asf