Upon the show’s publication, Arthur Miller was accused of Communist affiliations, imprisoned, and blacklisted until his conviction was officially overturned in 1958. In response to the nation’s unruly panic, Miller wrote The Crucible to illuminate the public’s neuroticism and the uncanny similarities the current atmosphere bore the absurd 1692 witch trials. Under the corrupt rule of the House of Un-American Activities Committee, thousands of celebrities, politicians, and ordinary citizens were blacklisted or lost their jobs as a result of the allegations, leading to the collapse of many lives.
The Age of McCarthyism was plagued by mass hysteria and unfounded accusations that pitted Americans against their parents, siblings, friends, and neighbors in a race to eradicate the supposed “Communist infiltration” of the nation. Amid the Cold War, the fear of communism began to spread like wildfire across the United States in the form of the Red Scare.
At the time, America was engaged in yet another mass “witch hunt” under the terrifying political reign of Joseph McCarthy. What follows is a heart-wrenching tale of the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence in a world where neighbors eagerly testify against neighbors, prosecutors ruthlessly convict the innocent, and the democratic ideals of justice and morality are effectively shattered.Īrthur Miller wrote his dramatic masterpiece in 1953. As trials and hysteria escalate, Abigail, in an effort to secure John all to herself, declares that Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, exercised witchcraft over her. Among the accusers is Abigail Williams, who previously engaged in an illicit affair with the respected farmer, John Proctor. Carried away by the excitement and fear that escalates in Salem, the group of teenage girls accuses several citizens of fraternizing with the Devil and using demonic powers to torture Salem’s youth. After a group of teenage girls are found dancing naked in the woods and one falls extremely ill, rumors of witchcraft spread around the town. Although many of the characters are based on true figures of the period, Miller does take some artistic liberties to architect a cohesive storyline. Set in Salem, Massachusetts, at the turn of the 17th century, The Crucible centers on one of the most heinous chapters of American history, the Salem witch trials, which resulted in the deaths of 19 innocent men and women. The story of The Crucible is relatively simple, which allows for a complex philosophical undertone to remain undisturbed for the duration of the show.
Such thinking is inherently flawed: how can we move forward if we refuse to acknowledge our past? The answers to some of today’s most pressing questions may lie in the text of a play that most high schoolers begrudgingly skim. As society becomes increasingly polarized in the digital age, it is easy to brush off the lessons of the past as inapplicable historical lectures. Arthur Miller’s 20th-century classic drama tells a brazenly timeless story, though few truly recognize its candid relevance in the modern world. The Crucible is one of those titles that almost everyone is familiar with or has at least heard of- and for a good reason. Nastia Goddard, Arts Department Co-Editor
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