The Comparison Between The Crucible And Mccarthyism

The Salem Witch Trials are a very iconic and very dark past time for the Americas. Salem was a small puritan town in Massachusetts filled with devout Christians ready to serve god. Able to start new in the Americas and free from religious persecutions in England many of the puritan inhabitants were happy with their lives but were always fearful. Engulfed in a great fear for the devil, puritans saw many unexplained catastrophes on the devil and believed the woods to be where the devil roamed. But the devil was not the only troublesome factor in Salem life during the time; Native-Indian attack, break outs of small pox were present, and fear of religious persecution from England was still persistent due to anti-religious charters placed in nearby

Massachusetts Bay. It is clear to see that Salem was up to their neck in problems.
The trials truly began when certain afflicted girls pointed out the witches; Tituba, Sara Good, and Sara Osborne in 1692. Tituba’s claims of her and others being in compact with the devil sent an outrage throughout Salem. The madness spread as the hunt for witches was enforced. Witches were accused before but this was the first person to claim of being a witch, this threw Salem over the edge. People would be accused of witchery for one of or several reasons; having a blemish or birthmark would be a “witches teat” which was believed to feed a witches familiar, spectral assaults (inviable crime only brought to the attention of court by victims testimony), and women’s menstrual cycle. Some of the accused have been thought to have been persecuted due to age old quarrels and differences between townsfolk. The holy crusade to purify Salem of witches ends up putting 200 people in prison and 20 people to death.
There were many who spoke out against witchcraft and its punishments; one of those being John Proctor, John Alden, and many clergy members. Sadly though many who opposed the witch hunt became victims themselves to its hysterical power. The witch hunt became contagious as in spread to nearby towns. Soon jailhouses were overcrowded, properties taken, and people excommunicated all over Massachusetts. Their outrageous behavior only lasted about a year before the courts finally deemed spectral evidence as not viable in court. The Salem Witch Trials finally ended.
McCarthyism:
During the late 1940s senator Joseph R. McCarthy was ready to begin running for senate again. In need of a plat form to launch his campaign, McCarthy turns his politics to focus on the so called “Communist Threat.” McCarthy gives a speech in 1950, blaming policy failure due to communist infiltration of the U.S. and claims to have a list of 205 names of people working for the communist party. Placing himself as the one and only savior of America. Later on of course the list is discovered as a fraud and McCarthy declared a fraud as well.
During the 1940s and 1950s the world was shocked to witness that the power of the democratic China was overthrown by Communist. This was the breaking point, all the Americans feared that their country too was susceptible to communist takeover. This was the start of the Red-Scare. This gave way to for organizations like HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee) and the McCarthy crusades. McCarthy taking full advantage of the scare took the opportunity to rid of democratic competitors by blaming them of communist affiliation and rally the fear of the people in order to be re-elected to the senate.
Propaganda fueled the fear. People grew confused and terrified of America’s future. It only became worse as many Hollywood producers, writers, and actors were labeled communist. Leaving the accused to be blacklisted from the public and forcing some to flee the country. The Hollywood Ten, Lucille Ball, and even Arthur Miller were victims of the communist “witch hunt.”
The Crucible
How The Crucible Reflects The Salem Witch Trials:
Hunting to find what makes The Crucible reflective of The Salem Witch Trials is no chore. Most of the Miller’s play is in accordance to historical documentation and extensive research at Salem itself. The plot and content of the play though are not historical events, but are similar in some aspects. Miller’s grand purpose behind the play was to give a dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials in order to enhance the play’s parabolic and precautionary messages about “witch hunts.” Every character residing inside the play was an actual person who endured the witch hunting period of Salem. In fact, Giles Corey was really pressed to death by the towns folk, Abigail was an outspoken accuser of witchcraft, and John Proctor along with other within the play were hanged due to their involvement in witchcraft. Most of Miller’s play utilizes historical information about Salem to deliver a story of his own creation.
The Crucible also gives us insight into the Puritan life within Salem. Their hysteria was a very real thing and Miller portrayed it well. The insanity that brew from their fears of witches drove the entire down into a downward spiral of unnecessary spilt blood. Neighbors turning against neighbors for witchery which had no tangible evidence, no proper convictions. Yes the devil was a major concern for the townsfolk but this hysteria also revealed a slick method to wreak revenge upon others in which they held long-term grudges. Miller displays these grudges throughout the play; most obvious being Abigail’s longing for John Proctor but not all resentments were so easy to see. The teeming wealthy man Thomas Putnam also used the witch hunt to claim revenge on Francis Nurse by accusing his sweet wife Rebecca of witchcraft. Specifically Mrs. Putnam wanted Rebecca to be hung as she felt that Rebecca must be the cause of her previous babies’ demise, after all Rebecca Nurse was her midwife for each child. It can be assumed that more than theological fear persuaded the Salem’s people to assault the lives of their own people in order to purge the city of witchcraft, in reality a portion of the people in Salem held the reins and drove right over their rivals, competitors, and enemies.
How The Crucible Reflects McCarthyism:
The Crucible on the surface is relatable to The Salem Witch Trials, but its relation to McCarthyism at first glance is far less obvious.

Maybe a person who lived during the 1940’s and 1950’s would better understand the Red-Scare and McCarthyism and see how The Crucible is symbolic of those things, but that could be hard to extract without an understanding of the McCarthy period. Just like the townsfolk’s hunt for witches in The Crucible, America was on the hunt for Communist and out of their fear and paranoia many were found to be guilty of communism who weren’t at all involved. Communism was a rising threat to the American life, or at least that’s what Americans thought. The case being was probably only a little true, but certain people took advantage of the heating paranoia, people like Senator McCarthy. McCarthy is represented by the character Abigail, because they both capitalize on their people’s emotions in order to obtain their specified goals. McCarthy’s campaign against the communist was solely for the purpose of attaining office, a selfish attempt instead of focusing on deeper problem in America. Abigail’s sole goal was to subdue John Proctor and receive his hand in marriage, but this wasn’t easy since Proctor was already married to Elizabeth. To achieve her goal Abigail began to claim Elizabeth as a witch just as McCarthy did so to any opposition claiming them to be

communist.
Abigail was not the only symbolic character representing the McCarthy period. The government origination HUAC was represented in the play through the town court but mainly through Judge Danforth. The efforts to remove the social pest that littered their worlds, either be the communist or witches, both HUAC and the Salem Courts had relentlessly persecuted members of the populous with the close-minded righteousness and misguided diligence that of an unjust king. HUAC and McCarthy where both known for the question of “Are you or have you ever been a part of the communist party?” just how Judge Danforth questions the suspects in his court. Danforth also is persistent to get the suspects to name others who conspire with the devil just as HUAC would do to their accused communist; in fact that was the reason that Arthur Miller was brought to court for communism.
Conclusion
Miller’s play The Crucible is a theater piece that truly has changed the world and due to its context and influence from The Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. Arthur Miller creatively used the Salem Witch Trials as a way to shine light upon the falsehoods and evils of McCarthyism. The message the play has is palpable still for many ages and is a precautionary tale that warns against false prosecutions and hysteria. Overall Arthur Miller’s The Crucible was heavily influenced by McCarthyism and The Salem Witch Trials and was able to form a gripping play and amazing story that has become an American Classic.