The Crucible
Key Themes
Writing about theme
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When writing about theme avoid:
Simply rewriting the question
Repeating yourself
E.g. do not write “injustice is an important
theme”
• Instead: “Miller explores the theme of
justice in a thought-provoking manner,
suggesting that it is the role of the common
man to make sure that justice is served.”
What are the main themes?
• Hysteria
• Justice and corruption
• Vengeance
Hysteria
• The play has a momentum which shows how
events snowball out of control.
• Act One- the illness of Betty Parris starts a
panic, fuelled by Parris’s own desperation to
hold his position and Abigail’s manipulation
• Act Two- goes from the calm of the opening
to “The little crazy children are jangling the
keys of the kingdom and common
vengeance writes the law!"
Hysteria
• Act 3- begins with an attempt to reason
calmly with the court and ends with a total
breakdown of order in the court
• Act 4- hysteria has taken a firm hold on
the entire town. Parris “has a mad look”
and the judges’ power is under threat
• However, at the end of the act Proctor is
almost calm
Question
• How does the title, ‘The Crucible’ fit with
the theme of hysteria?
Justice and corruption
• Definition:
The quality of being just, integrity (honesty
and truthfulness), impartiality, fairness, a
judge.
• In ‘The Crucible’ who acts with integrity?
• Who is corrupt?
Act One
• In this act Abigail shows how corrupted she
is- by her jealousy and lust
• She has corrupted John and made him act
“like a wild stallion”.
• Yet this has made Proctor a conflicted man
because he has a strong sense of what is
just: “I like not the smell of this ‘authority’”
• Parris seems to have been corrupted by his
thirst for power and greed
• Hale believes strongly in justice
Act Two
• John feels that he is being judged unfairly by
Elizabeth: “judge me not”.
• However it is his conscience which really troubles
him.
• He feels no wider responsibility.
• The court has been corrupted (by Abigail), Proctor:
“Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs…”
• However, there is still belief that the court is fair:
• Herrick: “The law binds me”
• Hale: “The court is just…our greatest judges sit in
Salem now”
Act Three
• The corruption of the court and its injustice
become clear
• Proctor and Giles ask for fair treatment
• Giles appeals to the law
• Proctor to religion: “Remember what the
angel said…”
• Proctor believes that the only way to
overcome injustice is to tell the truth
• However even this is ineffective in the face
a court which only wants to protect their
own interests
Act 4
• In this act we see the results of corruption
• There has been a complete breakdown of
order in the town- “cows wandering the
highroads…” and rebellion threatens.
• The judges are paranoid and willing to kill
so as not to seem weak, “Postponement
speaks a floundering on my part”
• However Proctor ultimately refuses to be
corrupted- he shows integrity and stands
up for what is right
• Ordinary man represents justice
Question
• How does the imagery of black and white
connect to this theme?
Vengeance
Echoes…
• Ultimately the unjust society collapsed and
was destroyed
• There are ‘echoes’ because Miller was
concerned with injustice in the 1950s
• Why are there still ‘echoes’?
• What does ‘The Crucible’ say to its
audience about injustice?