THE CRUCIBLE Author and Background Info

ARTHUR MILLER, PLAYWRIGHT  Arthur Miller was born in New York City in the year  In addition to The Crucible, Miller’s other famous play was Death of a Salesman.  Arthur Miller was at one point married to Marilyn Monroe.

THE CRUCIBLE, HISTORICAL INFO  A “crucible” is a severe test/trial, or a melting pot.  The play presents the drama of the Salem witch trials, which occurred in the year 1692 in the small parish of Salem, Massachusetts.  There was widespread hysteria over witches in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

 The religious group involved in this hysteria were the Puritans, Protestant Christians from England who wanted to establish a colony whose government, society, and church were all based upon the Bible.  The people of Salem Village formed a theocracy, which is a society of combined state and religious power.

 Unfortunately, harsh living conditions in a new world forced the Puritans to place blame on supernatural events such as witchcraft and devil worship. Having a strong belief in the devil was a way to explain their everyday difficulties.

 In January of 1692, a few young girls became ill. A doctor examining them questioned if it was witchcraft. The “tormented” young girls then “cried out” the names of other people in the community, and these people were arrested.  Over 150 men and women were imprisoned, awaiting trial for a crime punishable by death in 17th-century New England: the practice of witchcraft.

 Final result: nineteen people were hanged, one man was crushed to death, and seven others died in prison.

ARTHUR MILLER’S REASONS FOR WRITING THE CRUCIBLE  Arthur Miller felt that the Salem witch trials were analogous to the Red Scare.  The word analogous means that one situation works roughly the same way as another situation. In this case, the witchcraft trials worked the same way as the “Red Scare.”

 The Red Scare occurred in the early 1950’s.  During the Red Scare Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many people in American society of being communist.

 Writers, actors, politicians and many other people were summoned to appear before McCarthy to answer the question: “Are you now or were you ever a Communist?”  These people were also required to inform on neighbors and friends, or be sent to jail.

 The panic arising from these “witch-hunts” and fear of communism became known as McCarthyism: the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques in order to suppress opposition.

 Three years after the production of The Crucible, Arthur Miller was accused of being a Communist. He spoke freely about how he had been a guest at Communist meetings, but was found in contempt of court when he refused to name names of other people.  His conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

 Arthur Miller felt that the Red Scare, like the Salem witch trials, presented a paradox, which is a contradictory statement or situation.  The series of events of both historical situations attempted to save the community. However, in order to do this, members of the community had to be excluded.

 Therefore, inclusion and exclusion happened at the same time.