The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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The CrucibleBy Arthur Miller

• Background p. 1230 1231
• Act I p. 1234-1263
• Act II p. 1267- 1287
• Act III p. 1291-1315
• Act IV p. 1319-1334

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The Author, Arthur Miller

• He has written many plays including Death of a
  Salesman
• Wrote about common people pitted against
  powerful . . . social forces.
• Wanted social justice and equality among classes
• During the McCarthy Era, he was accused of being
  a Communist and Un-American

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Background Information

• 1962, MA colonized by British, a witch craft
  hysteria (Puritan New England)
• 20 people were executed and 150 jailed
• Puritan New England paralleled McCarthyism
• girls had seizures and lapses of unconsciousness
  thought to be witch craft
• girls had been engaging in fortunetelling with
  the ministers slave, Tituba.

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Overview of the Plot

• Girls dancing in woods with Tituba.
• Minister Parris catches them
• Parris daughter, Betty falls into a coma
• Crowd gathers at Parris rumor begins of with
  craft
• Reverend Hale, an expert of the subject has been
  sent for
• Abigail, Parris niece will admit to nothing but
  dancing

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Dramatic Exposition ( An Overture)

• Reverend Samuel Parris, minister, is in
  mid-forties. Persecuted by the town
• Salem, MA is also about forty a religious
  shipping town w/o privacy
• John Proctor, farmer would rebel against this
• Forest thought to be a dark and threatening place
• Became a theocracy to maintain unity of the town
• Witch hunts brought out people confessing sins
  and guilt which otherwise they wouldnt

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Act I p. 1237

• Narrator
• Tituba
• Parris
• Abigail
• Mrs. Putnam
• Susanna
• Putnam (Thomas)

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Dramatic Exposition p. 1241

• Thomas Putnam eldest son of richest man in Salem
• Putnam wanted his brother-in-law, James Bayley to
  be the minister
• Former Minister George Burroughs went into debt
  paying for wifes funeral
• Putnam and his brother, John jailed Burroughs for
  his debt
• Burroughs became minister when Bayley didnt
• Many accusations were give by Putnam

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Act I p. 1242

• Parris
• Putnam
• Mrs. PutnamAbigail
• Mercy
• Mary Warren
• Betty

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Dramatic Exposition p. 1245