The Crucible

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The Crucible

• by Arthur Miller

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Arthur Miller

• Generally recognized as one of the greatest
  playwrights of the 20th century
• His plays challenge the assumptions of society
  and ask people to think about their
  responsibilities to each other

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Early Years

• Born in 1915
• Lived in a primarily Jewish area of Harlem
• Family moved to Brooklyn when his fathers
  business struggled
• Worked at an auto-parts warehouse, where he was
  the only Jewish employee experienced American
  anti-Semitism

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Major Works

• All My Sons became a financial success in 1947
• Won the Pulitzer Prize for Death of a Salesman in
  1949
• The Crucible premiered in 1953

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Marriages

• Married Mary Slattery in 1940, with whom he had
  two children
• Divorced Slattery and married Marilyn Monroe in
  1956
• Divorced Marilyn Monroe in 1961 (she died in
  1962)
• Marriage to photographer Inge Morath in 1962
  lasted until her death in 2002

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Miller with Marilyn Monroe
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Political Troubles

• 1956 subpoenaed to appear before the House
  Un-American Activities Committee
• 1957 convicted of contempt for refusing to name
  names to the HUAC
• 1958 conviction overturned

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House Committee on Un-American Activities Hearing
1947
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Protests following the firing of the Hollywood
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Political Activism

• 1970 Millers works are banned in the Soviet
  Union as a result of his work to free dissident
  writers
• Continued to work to halt arrests of dissident
  writers in Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia
• 1986 one of 15 writers and scientists invited
  to meet with Mikhail Gorbachov to discuss Soviet
  policies

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Millers Death

• Miller died on February 10, 2005, at the age of
  89.
• NPR On Point

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The Crucible
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Historical Context

• Based on real events that took place in Salem,
  Massachusetts in 1692
• Miller traveled to Salem in 1952 to do research
  for The Crucible
• Said that the play was not history in the sense
  in which the word is used by the academic
  historian

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(No Transcript)
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Historical Context

• Belief in witchcraft was widespread
• Supernatural powers were supposed to come from
  the Devil
• Believed that a witch could send out her spirit
  to cause harm

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Historical Context

• The Puritans traveled to North America to escape
  religious persecution
• Life was serious and strict dancing and singing
  were banned
• The settlers of Massachusetts were some of the
  first Europeans to live in this part of North
  America

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Historical Context

• They were fighting a physical battle with the
  wilderness, the climate, and the Native Americans
  
• Constant threat of losing everything made them
  paranoid, and even more likely to believe in
  suggestions of witchcraft

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Larger Context

• The persecution of accused witches by the courts
  of Salem and resulting mass hysteria parallel
  the persecution of supposed Communists by the
  HUAC and the hysteria created by McCarthyism and
  the Red Scare
• Miller saw similarities between the attempts of
  governments to control the actions of individuals

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Motifs

• injustice
• mass hysteria
• guilt
• integrity
• vengeance
• power

• jealousy
• honesty
• greed
• pride
• hypocrisy
• courage

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The Children

• Abigail Williams Rev. Parriss niece fired by
  the Proctors
• Mary Warren Proctors servant
• Betty Parris Rev. Parris daughter
• Mercy Lewis
• Susanna Walcott

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The Adults

• Reverend Parris religious leader of community
• Tituba Parriss servant from Barbados
• Reverend Hale expert on witchcraft
• Sarah Good accused of being a witch

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The Couples

• John Proctor average farmer, had an affair
• Elizabeth Proctor knows about the affair
• Thomas and Ann Putnam lost all children except
  Ruth use trial for personal gain
• Giles Corey argues a lot funny character
• Martha Corey a good woman likes to read
• Francis and Rebecca Nurse good reputations
  very respected

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The Court

• Deputy Governor Danforth head of the court
  sent to rule over trials and sentence those found
  guilty
• Judge Hathorne judge who examines witches
• Ezekiel Cheever hired to arrest accused witches
• Marshal Herrick communitys police force
• Hopkins works in the jail