The CrucibleThe Crucibleby by

Arthur MillerArthur Miller

Arthur Miller (author)Arthur Miller (author)

Born 1915 in New York.

Miller saw stark similarities between the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy Hearings.

Miller wrote the play as a response to “The Red Scare” during the 1950’s which attempted to oust communists from government positions and public jobs.

Miller refused to cooperate in the investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

As a result of not cooperating with the committee, he was accused of being unpatriotic, was “blacklisted” from potential job opportunities, and his career suffered severely for years afterward.

Senator Joseph McCarthySenator Joseph McCarthy

Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin headed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

He was almost single-handedly responsible for accusing many of Communism during the “Red Scare” of the 1950’s.

He was later brought down when this accusations were proved to be false.

The SettingThe Setting

Salem, Massachusetts Salem, Massachusetts (1692)(1692)

Site of mass hysteria due to accusations of witchcraft.

Puritan community which attempted to “purify” the Church of England by stripping away much of the ritual, ceremony, pomp, and paraphernalia of traditional church services.

Puritan SocietyPuritan Society

Salem residents descended from the Puritans, a zealously religious group that landed in America on the Mayflower.

With no Constitution to govern them, they chose instead a Theocracy which was based on the Ten Commandments and other biblical, Christian teachings.

The CharactersThe Characters

Reverend ParrisReverend Parris

Minister for Salem.

He is a paranoid man who is hungry for power.

He is more concerned about his own reputation than his daughter’s and his niece’s souls when the first rumors of witchcraft first surface.

He quickly learns to take advantage of the witchhunt craze for his own personal gains.

Abigail WilliamsAbigail Williams

Abigail is Rev. Parris’s niece, and was once the servant of the Proctor household.

Elizabeth Proctor fired her after she found out Abigail was having an affair with her husband.

TitubaTituba

Tituba is Rev. Parris’s black slave from Barbados. She agrees to perform voodoo at the request of Abigail and Ruth’s mother. Parris catches her and the girls during a session which sparks the entire witch hunt craze.

John ProctorJohn Proctor

John Proctor, Elizabeth’s husband, had an affair with Abigail when she was a servant in his house. He hates hypocrisy, but his hidden sin causes him a great deal of moral anguish.

He hesitates to expose Abigail as a fraud because he knows his own conscience is unclean. He does not try to expose her as a liar until it is too late. He is accused of witchcraft and convicted.

Elizabeth ProctorElizabeth Proctor

Elizabeth Proctor, John’s wife, is accused by Abigail of witchcraft because Abigail wants John Proctor all to herself.

She is convicted of the crime of which she is accused, but her execution is delayed because she is pregnant. By the time she has her baby, the craze has died down and her life is spared.

Thomas PutnamThomas Putnam

Eldest son of richest man in village.

Vindictive, forceful, bitter

He felt that his family’s name had been “smirched” by the village and wanted revenge.

The Putnams fan the flame of belief that witchcraft has taken hold in Salem.

Ann PutnamAnn Putnam

Thomas Putnam’s wife.

She has given birth to eight children, but only Ruth Putnam survived; the other seven children died before they were a day old.

She is convinced they were murdered by supernatural means, so she sends Ruth to request that Tituba conjure their spirits in order to discover who murdered them---later claiming that witches had done it.

Francis NurseFrancis Nurse

Wealthy and influential man in Salem.

He is well respected and many people ask him to arbitrate their disputes.

He is involved in a bitter land dispute with the Putnam family. He also keeps Thomas Putnam’s brother-in-law from from being elected to the office of minister.

As a result of these disputes, his wife is later accused of witchcraft.

Rebecca NurseRebecca Nurse

Rebecca Nurse is the wifeof Francis Nurse. She is amoral woman, and she runs several charities.

Her husband’s enemies accuse her of witchcraft. She dies on the gallows because she refuses to confess to crimes she did not commit.

Giles CoreyGiles Corey Elderly but feisty farmer in Salem.

His offhand comments about his wife’s reading habits lead to her arrest and execution for witchcraft.

He attempts to clear his wife’s name results in his own persecution by Hawthorne and Danforth.

He refuses to plead guiltyeven after he is subjected to torture.

Martha CoreyMartha Corey Martha Corey is Giles

Corey’s third wife.

Her reading habits lead to her arrest and conviction for witchcraft.

She dies on the gallows because she refuses to confess to crimes she did not commit.

Sarah GoodSarah Good

Old beggar woman who is accused of witchcraft.

Here is her grave site. Notice that it says nothing about her except that she was hanged.

The JudgesThe Judges

Herrick - The marshal for Salem

Hathorne - Judge who presides over the witch trials.

Danforth - The Deputy Governor of Massachusetts. He presides over the witch trials and is just as concerned about maintaining his image as he is about exposing sin.

The MoodThe Mood

Mystery & SuspenseMystery & Suspense

Historically, and in the play, this period was full of uncertainty about the Puritan society. A new push for more individual freedoms, scared conservative followers to commit extreme acts to maintain the traditions of their religious beliefs.

RetributionRetribution

Many who were accused of witchcraft were detained in devices such as this, often for extended periods of time.

Those that warranted lighter punishment in this time, were usually whipped or beaten.

Public ExecutionPublic Execution

Often times, the entire town came out to view the “witches” trial and their execution by hanging.

The victims not only had to endure a horrible death, they also had to listen to the slanderous cries of their friends and neighbors.

The ThemeThe Theme

What It Is All AboutWhat It Is All About

The play’s main conflict centers around the rights of an individual versus those in authority.

The central theme of the play deals with an individual’s search for self-awareness and self-realization through commitment.

What It Was All AboutWhat It Was All About

The play was also a classic look at the battle between good and evil. The evil being the distorted perceptions and actions of those who believe their judgement is right.

Salem Witch TrialsSalem Witch Trials