1. “The Crucible”
By Arthur Miller

2. Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
Early in 1692, a small group of girls in Salem fell ill, falling victim to hallucinations and seizures.

3. In extremely religious Puritan New England, frightening or surprising occurrences were often attributed to the devil or his cohorts.

4. The unfathomable sickness spurred fears of witchcraft, and it was not long before the girls, and then many other residents of Salem, began to accuse other villagers of consorting with the devil and casting spells.

5. Old grudges and jealousies spilled out into the open, fueling the atmosphere of hysteria. The theocratic Massachusetts government and judicial system soon became involved.

6. Within a few weeks, dozens of people were in jail on charges of witchcraft. The hysteria lasted from May to September of By the time it was over, 19 people (and two dogs) had been convicted and hanged for witchcraft, one elderly man was pressed to death by stones, and 150 prisoners were awaiting trial. Five more people died in prison.

7. Arthur Miller
More than two centuries later, Arthur Miller was born in New York City in The relative prosperity of the Miller family during his early years ended abruptly with the stock market crash of The altered status of his family and the misery wrought by the Depression had a profound impact on the development of his social consciousness.

8. Miller dropped out of high school and worked as a shipping clerk in an automobile parts warehouse. Despite his inability to complete high school, he persuaded the University of Michigan to accept him as a student. Miller studied English, drama and journalism, and began writing plays in college. He graduated in 1938.

9. Miller wrote over 50 works, among them radio plays, novels, articles, and 17 plays. Death of a Salesman opened two years later in Widely considered to be his best play, Death of a Salesman won a Pulitzer Prize and catapulted Miller to international fame.

10. Miller’s personal life became the focus of public attention when he married film star Marilyn Monroe in The couple divorced in 1961.

11. Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953
Miller wrote The Crucible in Although the play depicts the Salem witch trials of 1692, it was a response to the paranoid political climate that surrounded him. The 1950s saw the rise of Senator Joseph McCarthy, a demagogue whose paranoid hunt for Communists propelled the U.S. into a dramatic anti-Communist fervor. McCarthy conducted Senate hearings that were supposed to flush out suspected communists from government and other areas of American life, including the Arts.

12. The policy resulted in a whirlwind of accusations
The policy resulted in a whirlwind of accusations. Many cooperated through false confessions, attempting to save themselves, creating the image that the U.S. was overrun with Communists, and perpetuating the hysteria. The liberal entertainment industry, in which Miller worked, was one of the chief targets. Some called to testify cooperated, others refused. Those who refused to incriminate their friends were placed on the infamous Hollywood Blacklist. Those placed on this list were denied employment, based upon their suspected Communist sympathies.

13. Miller was called on to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in Like so many of his generation, Miller, although never a member of the Communist Party, had advocated principles of equality among the classes, and social justice. At the hearings, he testified about his own experiences but refused to discuss the experiences of his colleagues and associates. He was blacklisted for his refusal to name names, but was eventually removed from the list.

14. Comparison between the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism:
Suspension of rational judgment
People who challenged the authority of the court soon found themselves under suspicion of guilt
Conscience was no longer a private matter but one of state administration

15. The Crucible does three important things:
Illustrates the belief that history repeats itself
Through the retelling of the Salem witch trials during the Red Scare of the 50s, The Crucible helped people to understand that often in life we are unable to see our moment in history very easily unless we are aided by earlier examples, or, in other words, unless we are able to make a connection between what is going on now and what has already happened.
Shows the danger of mob mentality—the kind of thinking/action where a large number of people act on poor information or they act using emotions, rather than logic.

16. Themes in The Crucible Hypocrisy
Individual vs. the community (unity and exclusion)
Authority
Greed
Justice vs. retribution and revenge
Godliness vs. worldliness
Ignorance vs. wisdom
The Puritan Myth
Order vs. Individual Freedom
It is also a story about the struggle between good and evil inside the heart of one man.

17. Reverend Parris Mid-40s Widower with children
Not a bad father, just did not understand children
Lacked control in his household
Paranoid and self-pitying
Concerned with what others think of him
Power-hungry
Disliked by parishioners
Hostile

18. Betty Parris 10 year old daughter of Reverend Parris
Falls into “stupor”
After father caught her dancing in the woods
Her illness sparks rumors of witchcraft

19. Abigail Williams Orphaned Niece of Rev. Parris “Strikingly beautiful”
Smart and cunning
“Dissembling”
Hides true feelings and motives
Vindictive
Mysterious rumors about her purity
Leader of the group

20. Tituba Rev. Parris’ slave From Barbados Cares about the children
Is the first accused of witchcraft
Confesses and repents

21. John Proctor Mid 30s Successful farmer Even-tempered and easy going
Thinks for himself
Often seen as a loner
Respected in Salem
Logical and tolerant
Sees himself as a sinner

22. Elizabeth Proctor John Proctor’s wife “Sickly” Virtuous Cold
Eager to please her husband
Timid
Avoids conflict
Often sad

23. Mary Warren 17 years old Proctor’s servant Lonely
Easily influenced by others
Worried

24. Thomas Putnam 50 years old Eldest son of richest man in Salem
Wealthy Landowner
Fights with others over land
Greedy
Nosy
Jumps to conclusions
Vindictive
Little concern for others

25. Ann Putnam 45 years old Thomas’ wife “Haunted” and “twisted soul”
Lost 7 infants
Blames others for misfortunes
Nosy

26. Ruth Putnam Thomas and Ann’s daughter Only surviving daughter
Falls into stranger stupor
After Rev. Parris found dancing in woods
Like her “soul was taken”

27. Mercy Lewis 18 years old Girl in Abigail’s group “Fat”
Sly and merciless
Apathetic
“Beat” Ruth when ill

28. Francis Nurse Respected in the town Self-made man
Serves as unofficial judge for disputes
Self-made man
Resented by others
Target of jealousy
Enemy of Thomas Putnam

29. Rebecca Nurse 72 years old Francis’ wife Gentle, caretaker
Calm and strong
Experienced
Believes “sickness” just boredom of teenage girls
Reasonable
Wants peace and tolerance in Salem

30. Giles Corey 83 years old “Comical Hero” Cranky Deeply innocent
Ignorant and uneducated

31. Martha Corey Giles’ third wife Enjoys reading
Leads to her accusation of witchcraft

32. Reverend John Hale 40 years old from Beverly Specialist in demonology
Intellectual
Reserves judgment
Sensible
His arrival sets the hysteria in motion

33. Ezekiel Cheever Clerk of the court Upright citizen
Determine to perform duty for court

34. Deputy Governor Danforth
60 years old
Grave
Allows humor
Still business-like
Great respect for court
Honest
True Puritan
Believes he is doing what is right
Sense of Justice

35. Judge Hathorne Presides over the witch trials Rushes to judgment
Impatient
Partial and unfair