The Crucible By Arthur Miller. The Crucible Have you ever been falsely accused and punished? No one believed you?

The The CrucibleCrucibleBy Arthur By Arthur

MillerMiller

The CrucibleThe Crucible

Have you ever been Have you ever been falsely accused and falsely accused and punished? No one punished? No one believed you? believed you?

The CrucibleThe Crucible

Well, what if Well, what if the punishment the punishment were DEATH?were DEATH?

The CrucibleThe Crucible““I believe that the I believe that the reader will discover here reader will discover here the essential nature of the essential nature of one of the strangest and one of the strangest and most awful chapters in most awful chapters in human history.”human history.”

The CrucibleThe Crucible Arthur Miller Arthur Miller

wrote this of wrote this of his classic play his classic play about the witch about the witch hunts and trials hunts and trials in 17in 17thth century century Salem, Salem, Massachusetts.Massachusetts.

Historical Context: The Red Scare Historical Context: The Red Scare and McCarthy Trials and McCarthy Trials

Shortly after the end of World War I, a Shortly after the end of World War I, a “Red Scare” took hold of the nation. “Red Scare” took hold of the nation. Named after the red flag of the USSR Named after the red flag of the USSR (now Russia), the “Reds” were seen (now Russia), the “Reds” were seen as a threat to the democracy of the as a threat to the democracy of the United States. Fear, paranoia, and United States. Fear, paranoia, and hysteria gripped the nation, and many hysteria gripped the nation, and many innocent people were questioned and innocent people were questioned and then jailed for expressing any view then jailed for expressing any view which was seen as anti-Democratic or which was seen as anti-Democratic or anti-American. anti-American.


In February of 1950, a In February of 1950, a Republican senator from Republican senator from Wisconsin named Joseph Wisconsin named Joseph McCarthy claimed to have a McCarthy claimed to have a list of over 200 card-carrying list of over 200 card-carrying members of the Communist members of the Communist party. By 1951, a new party. By 1951, a new flourish of accusations flourish of accusations began and a new wave were began and a new wave were subpoenaed to “name subpoenaed to “name names”—to snitch on those names”—to snitch on those who were Communists or who were Communists or believed to be Communist believed to be Communist sympathizers. Later, the sympathizers. Later, the terms terms McCarthy TrialsMcCarthy Trials and and McCarthyism McCarthyism were coined, were coined, which described the anti-which described the anti-Communist movement and Communist movement and trials of the 1950s. trials of the 1950s.

Miller’s troubles began in 1950. After directing a production of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, Miller began getting negative attention for his very public political and social commentary.


Arthur Miller wrote Arthur Miller wrote The The Crucible Crucible in 1953, after in 1953, after witnessing first-hand the witnessing first-hand the modern witch-hunt that modern witch-hunt that had taken place in the had taken place in the United States. Miller United States. Miller wrote the controversial wrote the controversial play as an allegory, a play as an allegory, a play which represents play which represents something much deeper. something much deeper. In this case, the story is In this case, the story is about the Salem witch about the Salem witch trials of the 1690s but trials of the 1690s but also warns of history also warns of history repeating the tragic repeating the tragic events of the 1950sevents of the 1950s..

In 1953 In 1953 The CrucibleThe Crucible opened opened on Broadway, depicting a on Broadway, depicting a deliberate parallel between deliberate parallel between the Salem Witch Trials and the Salem Witch Trials and the Communist Red Scare the Communist Red Scare that America was that America was experiencing at the time. This experiencing at the time. This production brought more production brought more suspicion onto Miller at a very suspicion onto Miller at a very unstable time in American unstable time in American history. history.

Arthur Miller Arthur Miller

That same year, he That same year, he divorced his wife and divorced his wife and married actress and married actress and American icon American icon Marilyn Monroe; Marilyn Monroe; however, his however, his marriage to Monroe marriage to Monroe did not last long—did not last long—they divorced in they divorced in 1961. 1961.

Arthur Miller Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller died Arthur Miller died of heart failure in of heart failure in February of 2005 February of 2005 at his Connecticut at his Connecticut home. He was 89 home. He was 89 years old. years old.

What Do I Need to Know?What Do I Need to Know?

Why did Arthur Miller write “The Why did Arthur Miller write “The Crucible”?Crucible”?

What is an allegory? A story, picture, What is an allegory? A story, picture, or poem which has a hidden meaningor poem which has a hidden meaning

What is a crucible? A place or What is a crucible? A place or occasion of severe test or trialoccasion of severe test or trial

The CrucibleThe CrucibleBased on historical Based on historical people and real events, people and real events, Miller’s drama is a Miller’s drama is a searing portrait of a searing portrait of a community caught up community caught up by hysteria.by hysteria.

HysteriaHysteriaa state of a state of mind, one mind, one of of unmanage-unmanage-able fear able fear or or emotional emotional excesses.excesses.

The CrucibleThe Crucible In the rigid In the rigid

theocracytheocracy of of Salem, rumors Salem, rumors that women are that women are practicing practicing witchcraft stirs witchcraft stirs up the town’s up the town’s most basic fears most basic fears and suspicions.and suspicions.

THEOCRACYTHEOCRACYGovernment by Government by religious leaders in religious leaders in accordance with accordance with divine law. divine law.

The CrucibleThe CrucibleWhen a young girl accuses When a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, self-righteous church witch, self-righteous church leaders and townspeople leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial.brought to trial.

The CrucibleThe CrucibleThe ruthlessness of the The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor testify against neighbor shows the destructive shows the destructive power of socially power of socially sanctioned violence.sanctioned violence.

The CrucibleThe Crucible Written in 1953, Written in 1953, The The

CrucibleCrucible is a mirror Miller is a mirror Miller uses to reflect the anti-uses to reflect the anti-communist hysteria communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy’s “witch-hunts” in McCarthy’s “witch-hunts” in the United States.the United States.

TERMSTERMSOF COURSE OF COURSE THERE ARE THERE ARE TERMS! GET TERMS! GET YOUR HANDOUT!!YOUR HANDOUT!!

TERMSTERMSMcCarthyism: The extreme McCarthyism: The extreme opposition to communism opposition to communism shown by Senator Joseph shown by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and his R. McCarthy and his supporters in the 1940s supporters in the 1940s and 1950s.and 1950s.

MCCARTHYISMMCCARTHYISM Note : McCarthyism has : McCarthyism has

become a general term for the become a general term for the hysterical investigation of a of a government's opponents or the or the publicizing of accusations of accusations against these opponents without sufficient evidence to evidence to support the charges. support the charges.

A CITY ON THE HILLA CITY ON THE HILL

A CITY ON THE HILLA CITY ON THE HILL City upon a hillCity upon a hill is a phrase is a phrase

from the from the parable of of Salt and Light in in Jesus' ' Sermon on the Mount. In . In Matthew 5:14, he tells his Matthew 5:14, he tells his listeners, "You are the light of listeners, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden". hill cannot be hidden".

A CITY ON THE HILLA CITY ON THE HILL John Winthrop used the phrase

"City upon a Hill" to describe the new settlement, with "the eies of all people" upon them. And with those words, he laid a foundation for a new world. These new settlers certainly represented a new destiny for this land.

CHARACTERIZATIONCHARACTERIZATION


All of the techniques that writers use to create characters.


Terms Associated with Characterization:

1. character trait: a character’s personality; a trait is not a physical description of a character.


2. direct characterization:


2. direct characterization:

the author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct comments about a character’s nature.


3. indirect characterization:


3. indirect characterization: the author does not directly

state a character’s traits; instead the reader draws conclusions and discovers a character’s traits based upon clues provided by the author.

CONFLICTCONFLICT

CONFLICTCONFLICTThe tension or problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces.

CONTEXTCONTEXTThe whole situation, The whole situation, background, or background, or environment relevant to environment relevant to a particular event, a particular event, personality, creation, personality, creation, etc.etc.

IRONYIRONY

IRONYIRONYA contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens.

THERE ARE THREE!!

POINT OF VIEWPOINT OF VIEW

POINT OF VIEWPOINT OF VIEWPerspective from which a story is told.

There are three types…

THEMETHEME

TONETONE

THEMETHEME

The main lesson of the The main lesson of the story.story.

TONETONE

The author’s attitude The author’s attitude towards the material.towards the material.

DIALOGUEDIALOGUEThe words characters The words characters speak. Advances the speak. Advances the plot and reveals the plot and reveals the characters’ characters’ personalities and personalities and backgrounds.backgrounds.

STAGE DIRECTIONSTAGE DIRECTION Indicates where a scene Indicates where a scene

takes place, what it should takes place, what it should look like, and how the look like, and how the characters should move characters should move and speak. Usually set in and speak. Usually set in italicitalic type to distinguish type to distinguish them from dialogue.them from dialogue.

CreditsCredits ingecenter.org oddpod.com commons.wikimedia.org www.www.encyclopedia.comencyclopedia.com/topic/ /topic/ TheocracyTheocracy.aspx.aspx westwardcoc.com punditkitchen.com goliathflores.blogspot.com dictionary.reference.comdictionary.reference.com/browse/ /browse/ McCarthyismMcCarthyism classiclit.about.comclassiclit.about.com/cs/articles//cs/articles/aa/aa_ cityuponhill.htm /aa_ cityuponhill.htm en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org/wiki//wiki/CityCity_upon__upon_aa__HillHill www.www.enotes.comenotes.com//literaryliterary--termsterms/ / characterizationcharacterization Webster’s New World Dictionary www.www.orangeusd.k12.ca.usorangeusd.k12.ca.us/yorba//yorba/literaryliterary_ elements.htm_ elements.htm The Crucuible Penguin classics The Crucuible Penguin classics Prentice Hall, pg 1232

SourcesSources The CrucibleThe Crucible Literature Guide. Secondary Solutions, 2006. Literature Guide. Secondary Solutions, 2006. The CrucibleThe Crucible. Latitudes. Perfection Learning, 1995. . Latitudes. Perfection Learning, 1995. Christopher Bigsby’s Introduction in the Penguin Books Christopher Bigsby’s Introduction in the Penguin Books

version of version of The Crucible, 1995.The Crucible, 1995. www.troyhigh.com/ourpages/auto/2007/8/29/.../

Documents

The Crucible By Arthur Miller. The Crucible Have you ever been falsely accused and punished? No one believed you?