The Religious Aspects Of Arthur Miller's The Crucible

The Religious Aspects Of Arthur Miller's The Crucible

The Crucible is a play, which draws a parallel between the Salem

witch-hunts of 1692 and McCarthyism in the 1950s. Arthur Miller,

author of the play, was put in prison in the early 1950s owing to his

slight left wing sympathies. In this period of time, the American

regime was very strict and paranoid; this was caused by fear of 'reds

under the bed' (communists in America). When Miller was released from

prison he chose to write a play outlining his views on America, but

instead of directly using his own situation, he used a parallel event

to put his ideas forward. The chosen event was the Salem witch-hunts

of 1692.

Miller portrayed the puritanical Communist regime, seeped in intrigue,

suspicion and fear, as the society that was in existence in Salem, the

town in which the play is set, prior to the religious hysteria, which

swept the community. Salem was a theocracy, which means 'a system

controlled by aspects of religion', or in Salem's case, people who

took the every word of The Bible literally.

The whole religious and political framework of the town was changed by

the hysterical reactions of its citizens. Before the witch-hunt,

Reverend Parris, the minister, and 'God's Earthly Representative', led

the community. He was the only educated person in the town and was

responsible for the spiritual and physical well being of the society.

Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hathorn on the contrary had only

political authority in the town.

The respected citizens within the township were Francis and Rebecca

Nurse and Thomas and Ann Putnam. These people were respected by the

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...religious framework was drastically

changed. The leader of the community, Reverend Parris, had his power

usurped by the 'black magic worshipping, teenage girls, in the fervour

of the mass hysteria. He was not excused from the accusations either

from Tituba. The hysteria surpassed racial and sexual prejudices. The

teenage girls soon found, that if they made a simple accusation, this

could incarcerate and convict some of the most important citizens of

Salem. The once respected and worthy citizen, John Proctor, no longer

had any social clout and found himself examining his own conscience

and responsibility for the mass hysteria that had swept his town.

Because the people have been suppressed in their thoughts and actions

for so long, they were unable to apply mature thinking and reasoning

to the events surrounding them.