The Crucible

By Arthur Miller

Setting

• Small town• 17th Century

Massachusetts• During The Salem Witch

Trials• Salem is East of present

day Boston• Hardships for colonists:

harsh, cold winters; outbreaks of disease; fail of crops; fires; attacks from Indians and pirates

Brainstorm

• What does the word “witch” mean to you?

• Write down all words/phrases that you associate with the term witch

Salem Witchcraft Trials

• 1692, village of Salem, Mass.

• Hysteria sets in over fear that there were “witches among them”

• Hundreds were accused of being a witch

• Over 150 jailed; at least 20 died

• Hysteria lasted less than a year

• This is where phrase “witch hunt” originated

Puritanism

• Most intellectual of the colonists; many were university graduates• Goal: to educate, to understand, and to execute God’s will

throughout the colonies• Beliefs: grace, plainness, divine mission• Fled Europe because of persecution from Church of England; came

to America to start own religion free from persecution• Also believe in theocracy– government that was totally controlled by

the church• Life is a test: success= heavenly bliss; failure= eternal damnation

and hellfire• Very strict: no dancing; game playing• Worst sin= commit adultery• Key– Puritans looking for reasons beyond their control; blame the

devil for their hardships; evil forces responsible for their suffering

Plot Summary

• Feud between the Putnam and the Nurse families

• Both are wealthy land owners• Nurse family highly respected in town• Main issue: each family supports a different

minister• Proctor family chose to worship in their own

house; viewed church as too materialistic, drifting from main purpose

• Proctors’ actions led to them being outcasts

Themes

• Pride• Revenge• Reputation• Fear• Conflict of authority• Puritan Ethics• Self interest• Honesty• Intolerance

McCarthyism

• Late 1940s-mid to late 1950s• Intense anti-Communism suspicion; more than

200 people accused• Named for leader of investigations: Joseph

McCarthy– Senator from Wisconsin• Focused mainly on those in government,

entertainment, but could be anyone• Evidence usually inconclusive, questionable• Arthur Miller one of those accused• Inspired writing of The Crucible

Brainstorm

• McCarthyism caused mass hysteria in the United States

• What does “mass hysteria” mean to you?

• Write down what it means to you and examples of it

Arthur Miller• Born 1915, New York City• Attended University of Michigan where he first began to write plays;

graduated 1938• First Broadway play 1944: The Man Who Had All the Luck• Wrote some of best work next: All My Sons, Death of a Salesman,

The Crucible• Successful in work; personal life miserable• 1955, divorced; 1956, accused of being a Communist• Very colorful person; lived celebrity life• Married Marilyn Monroe, 1956; divorced 5 years later• Won Pulitzer Prize for Death of a Salesman, 1949• Common Theme in his works: common people against the world

and society• Continued writing until 1980• Died, 2005