A Drama By Arthur Miller The Crucible A Drama By Arthur Miller

From Christopher Bigsby’s Introduction to The Crucible “The Crucible stands … as a study of the debilitating power of guilt, the seductions of power, the flawed nature of the individual and of the society to which the individual owes allegiance. It stands as testimony to the eas with which we betray those very values essential to our survival, but also the courage with which some men and women can challenge what seems to be ruling orthodoxy.”

Elements of a Drama Drama = a play; something meant to be performed on a stage The make up of a play Acts & Scenes Transition between scenes and/or acts = passage of time Dialogue Conversation between characters Stage Direction Describe the setting, character details, character movement, character emotion

Elements of a Drama The Plot structure Exposition – introduction of setting, characters, & initial conflict(s) Rising Action – events & conflicts that lead to climax Climax – turning point for the protagonist & high point of interest Falling Action – events that follow the climax & consequences of conflicts Resolution (aka, the Dénouement) – the end & conclusion of loose details/conlficts

Types of Drama Comedy – has a happy ending Tragedy – shows the downfall of the protagonist, or tragic hero, due to a tragic flaw

Types of Drama History – based on events of the past (The Crucible) Melodrama – stereotyped characters & exaggerated conflicts Tragicomedy – combines tragic & comic elements (think: dark humor) Modern Realism – ordinary language, realistic characters, & controversial issues Political – reflects an opinion on a political theme or issue (The Crucible)

Dramatic Conventions Suspension of disbelief = agreeing to accept stage illusions as reality Soliloquy vs. Monologue Soliloquy = character gives a speech alone on stage Monologue = character give a speech with other characters on stage Aside = a brief remark delivered by a character to express inner thoughts while others are on stage; presumed to be unheard by others on stage

Other Dramatic Terminology Protagonist – main character; usually goes through a change Antagonist – character or force in conflict with the protagonist Internal Conflict – man vs. self; the character struggles with something within himself (example = guilt) External – man vs. man or man vs. nature; the character struggles with something outside himself

Other Dramatic Terminology Dramatic Irony – when the audience or reader knows more than the character(s) Symbol – anything that stands for or represents something else; or, using a concrete object to represent an abstract idea Allegory – a story with two levels of meaning, a literal and a figurative

Arthur Miller Lived and worked through the depression Native New Yorker Legend of Modern American theater All My Sons was his first play to receive acclaim (1947) Death of a Salesman – 1949 – won him a Pulitzer

Arthur Miller Saw the distinct similarities between the McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials, & expressed it through his play, The Crucible The publication of The Crucible in 1953 was not so well received because of its attack of the anti- communist “witch hunts” in Congress in the 1950s He was investigated for associating with the Communist party following the publication of The Crucible

The who, what, where, when, and why of the Salem Witch Trials Who: The Puritans What: A witch hunt Where: Salem, Massachusetts When: 1692 Why: Fear

Historical Context of The Salem Witch Trials Puritans saw witchcraft as a sin punishable only by death because of their religious beliefs & the laws of the gov’t from which they fled in Britain Hardships of Puritan life in the new world (like bitter weather, fire, drought, insect infestations, sickness, & death) were usually attributed to the Devil and/or the work of their Native American neighbors

The Salem Witch Hunts & Trials Centered in Salem, Massachusetts during the 1690s (trials occurred in 1692) The minister’s daughter and other girls became “afflicted” (sick) It was discovered that the “afflicted” girls had been dabbling in fortune-telling with the minister’s slave, Tituba The girls were quick to blame witchcraft for their illness – Tituba & two other women were the first accused – this drove the town into a hysteria driven by their fear of the Devil’s work Witchcraft accusations were quick and numerous 20 eventually executed At least 100 jailed

The who, what, where, when, and why of McCarthyism Who: Joseph McCarthy What: A communist witch hunt Where: Post-Modern America When: 1950s Why: Fear

Historical Context of McCarthyism and The Red Scare WW2 ended because of the atomic bomb Cold War – tension between the Soviet Union & USA Because of nuclear arms & the spread of Communism Communism spreading westward from the USSR & growth of nuclear weapons = fear of soviet spies infiltrating the US in order to take over with communism and bombing

McCarthyism 2/9/1950: Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin made a speech in which he claimed to have a list of over 200 names of gov’t employees that were members of the communist party 1950s -- Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin waged a campaign to expose Communist spies in the U.S. gov’t McCarthyism = The Red Scare Many innocent citizens labeled Communist & lives ruined Many accused of sympathizing with communist cause, however, if they gave names of other Communists, they were released without further harassment Started with gov’t officials, went to Hollywood, athletes, playwrights (Arthur Miller) McCarthy played on the nation’s fears to build his own political power

Similarities between The Red Scare and The Salem Witch Trials Both were triggered by fear Both involved hysteria, thirst for & abuse of authority, prejudice, a lack of respect of civil rights, uncontrollable societal forces, opportunity for revenge Some showed courageous integrity The accused were never given the consideration of being innocent once accused Timing and outside events affected the two – “different” was bad

Crucible- a heat resistant container in which metals are melted or fused at very high temperatures, thus a severe trial or test. Latin word for cross.