Historical Context and Background

 Arthur Miller wrote many plays  Was born in New York in 1915 to a poor family  Worked himself through school, but eventually got a scholarship for his playwriting  The Crucible opened in New York, NY in miller.jpg

 In case you thought the life of a playwright was hopelessly un- cool, Arthur Miller was married to Marilyn Monroe from

What It’s All About: Arthur Miller warns in the preface to The Crucible that “this play is not history,” but it is certainly dependent on historical events for its story.  Play is about two periods in history:  The Salem Witch Trials of the 17 th Century  McCarthy Communist Trials of the 1950’s, when Miller was writing the play

The Salem Witch Trials: Miller’s Primary Period SALEM WITCH TRIALS  In 1692, allegations of witchcraft broke out in Salem, MA  Young girls in the community accused citizens of witchcraft  Eventually, townspeople used it as an opportunity to settle scores with people they didn’t like.

 Ultimately, 18 women and 1 man were killed (most were hanged) for being witches.  It wasn’t until 1957 that Massachusetts officially passed a resolution absolving the people who were killed of any guilt.

 Miller uses the historical tale of the Salem Witch Trials to make a comment on an event that was going on while he was writing: the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) trials of supposed communists by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

 Named for Joseph McCarthy, a senator from Wisconsin.  He claimed that he had a list of known communists in President Truman’s government  He also claimed there were communists in the entertainment industry

 In the 1950’s, our cooperation with the Soviet Union was decreasing  We knew they had a bomb  There was a space race on to get the first rockets in the sky (and Russia won)  People were afraid that communists were infiltrating our country and trying to take over.

The Rise of a WITCH HUNT  McCarthy demanded that people who testified answer whether they were communists, but he didn’t stop there  He also asked them to name names of others they knew or believed to be communists  If you did, you were “forgiven” and all was OK (with the committee, at least)  If you refused to name names, you would be blacklisted – meaning that you were on a list of people who were not supposed to be hired by movie studios and other countries.  Some people, like actor Charlie Chaplin, left the U.S. rather than be blacklisted.

 McCarthy had little evidence of any crimes. But people’s names were ruined just the same.  Arthur Miller was required to appear before the committee. He agreed as long as he wasn’t required to name names. Once he got there, the asked him to give names and he refused. He was convicted of Contempt of Congress and was given a $500 fine and his passport was confiscated  Miller’s name appeared on a list of blacklisted writers for a short period of time.  You can see that anyone would be afraid to speak out. If you did, you might get called before the committee, and then you’d be blacklisted unless you gave them the names of people who might be communists.

 In the Salem Witch Trials, people were named as “witches.” If you denied it, you went to prison, and, ultimately, might be executed. If you said you were a witch, you were forgiven, but you had to give the names of other witches.  McCarthyism was a “modern day witch hunt.”

WHAT IS A WITCH HUNT? witch hunt: noun 1 : a searching out for persecution of persons accused of witchcraft. 2 : the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views 3: a political campaign launched on the pretext of investigating activities subversive to the state. (Merriam-Webster on line)

 An allegory is a story that acts as an extended metaphor.  The main purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters, setting and other types of symbols that have both literal and figurative meanings.  The difference between an allegory and a symbol is that an allegory is a complete story that conveys abstract ideas to make a point, whereas a symbol is a representation of an idea that can have different meaning throughout a literary work.

According to Miller:  Both ritualistic hearings.  The main point is that the accused make public confession, damn friends and guarantee allegiance to by breaking old vows.  Then, the accused are free to rejoin society of decent people. b.jpg

 “One dictionary definition of a crucible is a place of extreme heat, ‘a severe test’” (Bigsby xvi). accessories:mammut-crucibles-in- action1.jpg/crop/1/width/500/height/285/round/15/name/mammut-crucibles-in- action1.jpg

 This play explores:  Who has power? And how do they lose it?  Why do people want power?  How does guilt make us powerless?

 When? 1692  What? Salem Witch Trials  Where? Salem, Massachusetts  Who? Villagers of Salem  Why? Reverend Parris discovered a group of girls dancing in the woods, apparently engaged in witchcraft. After being caught, the girls attempt to escape trouble by blaming others for witchcraft.

 John Proctor—farmer, dislikes Rev. Parris, wife is Elizabeth, had an affair w/ Abigail  Abigail Williams—Parris’ niece, parents are dead, girls’ ringleader, in love w/ Proctor, was the Proctor’s maid  Reverend Parris—Salem’s minister, not entirely popular, materialistic, discovers the girls dancing

 Betty—Parris’ daughter, under a “spell”  Tituba—Parris’ slave, practices voodoo  Thomas & Ann Putnam—wealthier landowners, have 7 dead babies  Mercy Lewis, Susanna Walcott, Mary Warren—the girls  Reverend Hale—expert on witchcraft called in by Parris

Works Cited “Allegory.” Merriam Webster On-Line Dictionary.  Lequidre, Zorikh. “ The HUAC, McCarthyism, and Witch-Hunts Through Captain Marvel Comics”; Captain Marvel Culture  Miller, Arthur. “Tragedy and the Common Man." The Theater Essays of Arthur Miller. Viking Press. 1949/1977. Reprinted (by permission of Viking Penguin, Inc.) on The Literary Link.  Study Guide, The Crucible by Arthur Miller. New Rep On Tour: Professional Performance in Your School. Fall, New Rep Administrative Office.  Oakley, Ronald J. “The Great Fear.” God’s Country: America in the Fifties. Republished in Literature Connections: The Crucible and Related Readings. Illinois. McDougal Littel,  Schutz, Stanley K., University of Wisconsin History Professor. Lecture 23, “The Coils of Cold War.” American History 102: Civil War to the Present  “Sullied Hero.” “Allegory.” Merriam Webster On-Line Dictionary. webster.com/dictionary/  “Witchhunt.” Merriam Webster On-Line Dictionary.