The Crucible by Arthur Miller When History and Literature Collide

Puritanism + Witchcraft McCarthyism Arthur Miller The Crucible is . . . Puritanism + Witchcraft McCarthyism Arthur Miller

1. Puritanism Christian faith that originated in England during the early 1600s Puritans believed in predestination They split from the Church of England in 1633 Many emigrated to the American colonies Their radical beliefs flourished in the new world

2. Witchcraft in Salem Like all Puritans, the residents of Salem Village believed in witches and in witchcraft. They believed that witchcraft was “entering into a compact with the devil in exchange for certain powers to do evil.” They considered witchcraft both a sin and a crime; it was a very serious accusation, which was carefully and thoroughly investigated. The witchcraft hysteria began in Salem, Massachusetts, in early 1692.

3. McCarthyism Mc· Car· thy· ism (m-kärth-zm) 1. The practice of publicizing accusations of political disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence. 2. The use of unfair investigatory or accusatory methods in order to suppress opposition.

McCarthyism McCarthyism is the term used to describe a period of intense suspicion in the United States during the early 1950s. It began when Senator Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, claimed that communists had infiltrated the Department of State. A special House Committee on Un-American Activities was formed to investigate allegations of communism. During this period, people from all walks of life became the subjects of aggressive “witch hunts” often based on inconclusive, questionable evidence.

Persons accused of being communists were often denied employment in both the public and private sector. In the film industry alone, over 300 actors, writers, and directors were denied work in the U.S. American writer, Arthur Miller, was one of those alleged to have been “blacklisted.”

Mass Hysteria Even if you had no Communism in your own past, you could easily be in the same position as Arthur Miller- you knew someone who did. That was more than enough to get you in trouble with Senator McCarthy and similar investigators.

The end of the terror... McCarthy’s influence finally faltered in 1954 when a famous CBS newsman, Edward R. Murrow, aired an investigative news report which revealed McCarthy as dishonest in his speeches and abusive in his interrogation of witnesses. The public was finally made aware of how McCarthy was ruining the reputations of many individuals through false accusations of communism.

4. Arthur Miller Miller was born in New York City in 1915 into an upper middle-class family. In the 1930’s the Millers were hit hard by the Great Depression. While in college Miller won several awards for his plays

Personal Sucess Miller married the motion-picture actress Marilyn Monroe in 1956; they divorced in 1961. Claim to Fame: Death of a Salesman Won a Pulitzer Prize in 1949 and earned rave reviews from both critics and the public.

Arthur Miller In 1953 he wrote The Crucible, which uses the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 to attack the anti-communist “witch hunts” of the 1950s. He believed the hysteria surrounding the witch craft trials in Puritan New England paralleled the climate of McCarthyism – Senator Joseph McCarthy’s obsessive quest to uncover communist party infiltration of American institutions. After the publication of the The Crucible, Miller himself was investigated for possible associations with the communist party.

Why was he investigated? Miller admitted to the HUAC that he had attended meetings, but denied that he was a Communist. He had attended, among others, four or five writer's meetings sponsored by the Communist Party in 1947, supported a Peace Conference at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, and signed many appeals and protests. Refusing to name others who had associated with leftist or suspected Communist groups, Miller was cited for contempt of Congress. (This was later over turned)

The Curtain Closes... In the 1970s, Miller’s career declined a bit. The plays he wrote did not earn the critical or popular success of his earlier work. In the 1980s and 1990s, Death of Salesman on Broadway To the end of his life in 2005, Miller continued to write.

The Crucible The hearings provided the inspiration for his 1953 play The Crucible, set during the Salem, Massachusetts, witch trials of 1692. Miller wrote the play to warn against mass hysteria and plead for freedom and tolerance

What does “crucible” mean? 1.) a vessel of a very refractory material (as porcelain) used for melting and calcining a substance that requires a high degree of heat 2.) a severe test 3.) a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development Based on these definitions and our background knowledge of the time period.... What do you think the play will center around?

The Crucible Takes place in Salem, Massachusetts 1962 Salem Witch Trials Story of a Puritan village’s response and false accusations based on fear, mass hysteria, and superstition.

Betty Parris- sick when the play opens… Characters Reverend Parris- Minister of Salem’s church. He has a daughter -Betty- Niece- Abigail- concerned with reputation Betty Parris- sick when the play opens… Abigail Williams- Her uncle is Rev. Parris- she used to work for the Proctor’s but was fired- accused of having an affair with John Proctor

Nurse Family- Rebecca and Francis- enemies of Putnams Characters cont. Tituba- African American slave- who agrees to perform Voodoo at Abigail’s request Putnam Family- (Thomas and Ann) gave birth to 8 children- 7 died. Ann thinks that they were murdered by supernatural means… Nurse Family- Rebecca and Francis- enemies of Putnams

Reverend John Hale- Expert on Witchcraft Characters cont. John Proctor- Farmer who lives outside of town- Married to Elizabeth Proctor- He hates hypocrisy- Has an affair with Abigail Williams (Their servant) Elizabeth Proctor- married to John Proctor- Has Abigail Williams fired when she finds out she’s having an affair. Reverend John Hale- Expert on Witchcraft