The Crucible (1953)
Arthur Miller ( ) Wrote essays, plays, and screenplays – Death of a Salesman, All My Sons Won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama Married to Marilyn Monroe; divorced nineteen months later Daniel Day-Lewis is his son-in-law Testified before the House Un- American Activities Committee
McCarthyism the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence Senator Joseph McCarthy: leader of a crusade to find and punish Communists and Communist- sympathizers from Allegory: a complete narrative which involves characters, and events that stand for an abstract idea or an event
Puritan Goals To purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic influences – Separatists: The Church of England could not be reformed, so they must separate and start a new church (Mayflower Pilgrims). To create “a city upon a hill” to serve as an example to the rest of the world To pursue individual moral purity down to the smallest detail
Hegemony (beliefs accepted as fact) The supernatural was an everyday part of life. Satan was present and active on Earth. – Refusal to believe in demons was a refusal to believe in God. Spectral evidence: the testimony of the afflicted who claimed to see the apparition or the shape of the person who was allegedly afflicting them Predestination: God has already chosen the saved and the damned, and there is no way to tell who is who.
Forbidden Anything resembling the Catholic or Anglican churches Instrumental music or anything that was not a hymn Dancing Games of chance Maypoles Celebration of holidays (Christmas and Easter) Toys, especially dolls Reading books that were not the Bible or history
Required Attending a three-hour sermon every Wednesday and Sunday All citizens must be able to read the Bible and understand the law.
Cultural influences Required education for everyone Emphasis on individualism and self-reliance Protestant work ethic: working hard will earn God’s favor (wealth) America’s role as an example and savior to all nations
Salem Witch Trials Witches and heretics had been prosecuted and tortured in Europe since the Middle Ages. Took place between February 1692-May 1693 Twenty people (mostly women) were executed, all but one by hanging “The rock on which theocracy shattered”
How to identify a witch She has a strong personality and defies conventions of proper female decorum. She has a pet that follows her everywhere. She has a mole or wart somewhere. She mutters under her breath. She doesn’t know or can’t say the Our Father. She doesn’t attend church. She floats or swims in water.
Characters Rev. Samuel Parris: minister of Salem, disliked by many townspeople for his greed Thomas Putnam: wealthy, greedy landowner Tituba: Parris’s slave, originally from Barbados Abigail Williams: 17, former maid for the Proctors, currently living with the Parrises John Proctor: protagonist, plain-speaking farmer, hates hypocrisy but has a secret sin…
Themes Intolerance: In a theocracy, deviation from the rules is not only socially but religiously dangerous and must be strictly punished. Hysteria: Some people are genuinely convinced that they are doing God’s work while others take advantage of the hysteria to further their own interests. Reputation: This is important but easily tarnished by false accusations.
Empowerment: As unmarried young women, Abigail and her friends are one step above the slaves. Their role in the Trials gave them more power than they had ever experienced. Legal and court proceedings: The Salem Witch Trials thrive on accusations and spectral evidence rather than logic.
Crucible a container in which metals or other substances are subjected to high temperatures
How does The Crucible fit into the rules of a tragedy?