The Crucible is a partially fictionalized story that puts a dramatic spin on the Salem witch trials that took place in Massachusetts during 1692. It was written in 1953 by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play was released during a time of controversy over the Red Scare. It is believed that his motive was to bring light to the situation by using historical events. The Crucible as a whole revolves around the bible. Miller uses Biblical allusions and metaphors to develop characters and set moods throughout the play. Miller develops Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris, and Reverend Hale using biblical quotes, allusions and religious morals in order to create a dichotomy of good and bad characters.
Abigail Williams is arguably the character who drives the Witch Trials. She feels empowered by the trials
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He is a figure that many look to for religious guidance. He's a fundamentally weak man, obsessed with his reputation, authority and wealth. Miller writes “There is either obedience in the church, or the church will burn like it burns hell” (28). This is one of the many attempts that Parris makes to control the congregation. Parris makes this statement because if he can't control the masses through fear within their faith, then Parris feels inferior. Parris is constantly accusing people of being unholy. When Proctor is accused of being a not very devout Christian, Parris makes a comment relating him to Cain. Parris says “You should surely know that Cain were an upright man” (85). He doesn't say this to be benevolent, he says this to take a extenuating stab at Proctor. Cain the son of Eve, is written about in the book of Genesis. Cain seems to be the most holy of them all but later goes on to murder his brother, Abel. This ordeal causes the provincial congregation of Salem to believe the spurious views that Parris has of Proctor. Once again he is manipulating the communities views in order to maintain
“He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him” Goody Proctor, Act 4. Arthur Miller wrote “The Crucible” in 1953. It written about the Salem Witch trials. The trials lasted from February 1692 to May 1693. The setting of the play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. There are many examples of propaganda found in this story. Some types that are found in “The Crucible” are stereotypes, fear, and bandwagon.
20 were executed” (Blumberg). The Crucible setting is based on The Salem Witch trials, but the plot is based on The Red Scare. The author employs strict tone and rhetorical questions to convey power. This connects to the purpose of how a occurring can devastate a whole community and the people in it. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, employs empowerment by expressing the challenges within each character and their influence on the trial through the characters John Proctor, Abigail, and Danforth.
In 1953, a book/play called The Crucible was published. It was written by Arthur Miller as an allegory of the McCarthyism era. It talks of the causes and effects of the Salem witch trials in the late 1600's. The story is told in a way that made the people of the 50's realize how crazy they were actually acting.
The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, focuses on the Salem witch trials and the extreme behavior that follows the trials. Miller shows how the dark desires and hidden agendas provokes such extreme behavior. The Crucible was written in a time when the anti-communist movement was strongly protested. During the Salem witch trials, a person was guilty until he proved himself
Abigail Williams is manipulative and wants everything to go her way. She is the main character and causes trouble everywhere she goes. The Salem Witch Trials is about hearings and prosecutions of people who were accused of witchcraft. In The Crucible Abigail is a no good villain. Abigail first commits adultery with Elizabeth’s husband.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller The Crucible is a fictional retelling of events in American history surrounding the Salem witch trials of the seventeenth century, yet is as much a product of the time in which Arthur Miller wrote it, the early 1950s, as it is description of Puritan society. At that particular time in the 1950s, when Arthur Miller wrote the play the American Senator McCarthy who chaired the ‘House Un-American Activities Committee’ was very conscious of communism and feared its influence in America. It stopped authors’ writings being published in fear of them being socialist sympathisers. Miller was fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials and that human beings were capable of such madness. In the 1950s the audience would have seen the play as a parallel between the McCarthy trials and the Salem Trials.
Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a fictional representation of the Salem Witch Trials, which occurred from 1692-1693 in colonial Massachusetts. He wrote the play to humanize the people involved, and to try and interpret their possible motivations to do all that they did. One particular character Miller focuses on is Reverend John Hale. Hale first appears in Act One, when the citizens of Salem summon him for his expertise on witchcraft. His presence sparks the witch hunts within Salem. Hale goes from being the main accuser and the investigator to later condemning the witch trials and the court’s rulings. Miller displays this change of view through the use of commentary, dialogue, and stage directions.
John Proctor is very rarely involved in village affairs, preferring to spend time on his farm than getting involved in politics. He does however still have conflicts with others in the village, especially Parris, whom he mistrusts greatly. Proctor genuinely dislikes Parris and disagrees with all that he does. Proctor’s hatred of Parris causes him to rarely attend church services on Sabbath Day and instead spends the day on his farm. The reason Proctor does not attend is that he disagrees with Paris’ morals and motivations and cannot bare to listen to the "hellfire and damnation" that he preaches during his services. Proctor also refuses to have his youngest child baptised because he dreads the thought of Parris touching his baby, believing that there is no "light of god in that man", even though he is a minister. Parris has glorious hopes for his church and his own future. Proctor believes that Parris is obsessed with material goods and "dreams cathedrals not clapboard meatin’ houses", as shown by his replacement of the pewter candlesticks with gold ones. The pewter candlesticks were hand made by Francis Nurse, and therefore had great sentimental value, but Parris preached "nothing but golden candlesticks" until he had them replaced. Proctor is outraged that his hard work goes to waste on materialistic items such as new candlesticks that serve no other purpose but to look good. Parris has a great influence on the witch-hunt and is often expressing his opinion about Proctor in an attempt to have him arrested. He contradicts many of Proctor’s words in the courtroom when Proctor testifies that the women arrested have an "upright reputation", and therefore the accusations cannot be truthful. Parris refers to the bible to prove Proctor wrong, using the son of Adam and Eve, Cain, who killed his brother Able, as an example of an upright person who can perform horrible acts. This hatred and suspicion between Proctor and Parris contributes greatly to the tense and hostile environment that occurs during the play.
Many characters in The Crucible fall under the trap of lying, if not to other people, then to themselves. The Crucible is a fictional retelling of events in history, surrounding the Salem witch trials. It takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692 and 1693. Additionally, Miller wrote the play as an allegory to mccarthyism, which is the practice of making accusations without evidence. In the play, Arthur Miller develops the theme of lies and deceit by showing Abigail lying for her own benefit, John Proctor committing adultery, and Elizabeth lying to protect her husband.
The Crucible, directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by Arthur Miller, is an allegorical tragedy set in 1692 Massachusetts in a Puritan village, called Salem. The film was released in the year 1996 and stars many acclaimed actors and actresses: such as Winona Ryder, Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Scofield, and Joan Allen. The plot focuses on the Salem Witch Trials, which resulted in the death of 20 innocent people, but is truly a reflection of the McCarthyism that Miller went through in the early 50s’.
The Crucible is a 1996 film depicting the Salem Witch Trials. Originally a play in the 1950s, it has always left out many facts, important people, and had the added Hollywood touch of a love interest. While the author, Arthur Miller, did stay true to actual names, he failed to stay true to actual history. In interviews he has claimed he cannot recall what was fact in his play or what he made up.
In 1953, the play called “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller created hysteria in all parts of the country. This play describes the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 and the irony of a terrible period of American history.
The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. Initially, it was known as The Chronicles of Sarah Good. The Crucible was set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. It talks of McCarthyism that happened in the late 1600’s whereby the general public and people like Arthur Miller were tried and persecuted. The Crucible exemplifies persecutions during the Salem Witch Trials. The people were convicted and hung without any tangible proof of committing any crime. Persecutions were the order of the day. When a finger was pointed at any individual as a witch, the Deputy Governor Danforth never looked for evidence against them or evidence that incriminated them; he ordered them to be hanged. This can be seen through his words “Hang them high over the town! Who weeps for those, weeps for corruption!” (1273), the people were persecuted aimlessly. The four main characters in the play, John Proctor, Abigail Adams, Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris, are caught in the middle of the witchcraft panic in the religious Salem, Massachusetts in late 1690’s. Persecution is the most important theme in the Crucible, the leaders and citizens of Salem attacks and persecutes one of their own without any tangible evidence against them.
Reverend Parris, Deputy Governor Danforth, and Reverend Hale each display the main themes of reputation, authority, and integrity, whether they possess those qualities or not. Reverend Parris conveys main themes of reputation and hysteria, as well as the smaller theme of individuality. Throughout the play, the author develops his character traits of hypocrisy and materialism. In act one, Parris expresses his concern for his reputation by demanding of Abigail, “‘...if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it...There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit,”’ (10). Parris’ worries about maintaining his position as a minister illustrate the importance of his own reputation to him. Lack of concern for anyone else’s welfare blinds him so that he cannot distinguish between reality and the growing hysteria in Salem. Likewise, Deputy Governor Danforth has concern only for his own reputation, as he firmly believes God speaks through himself and the court. His powerful and stubborn mannerisms demonstrate the themes of authority, intolerance, and dangerous ideologies. In act three, he warns the
The Crucible is a famous play written by Arthur Miller in the Early 1950’s. It was written during the “Red scare, when McCarthyism was established. Many anti-communists wanted to prevent communism from spreading just like in The Crucible many wanted to get rid of witchcraft. Many would accuse others of witchcraft in order to not be accused just like many would accuse people of communism. In The Crucible witchcraft would be punishable by death. Many were scared to be accused; therefore many would admit practicing witchcraft in order to save their lives. The Crucible is considered a good play because it is based on real life events during the Salem witch Trials and shows how fear played a role in the individual’s life just like during the “Red” scare.