The Crucible

The Crucible was a1953 play done by Arthur Miller, the American playwright. The play involved is a dramatized and somewhat fictionalized story about Salem witch trials which took place in Massachusetts Bay province between 1692 and 1693 (Bloom 314). Arthur Miller wrote this play to demonstrate McCarthyism when the government of the United States of America blacklisted the accused communists. Author Miller was himself questioned in 1956 by the Representatives’ House  Committee about the Non-American Activities and hence convicted of the “contempt of Congress” the reason for conviction being refusal of identifying others present in meetings that he had attended.

This play was first performed on January 22, 1953 at Martin Beck Theater at Broadway, starring Marshall E. G, Madeleine Sherwood and Beatrice Straight. Arthur Miller felt that the production was too much stylized and cold hence its reviews were largely hostile but the magazine, ‘New York Times’ referred to it as “a powerful play made in driving performance”. Additionally, this production won the Tony Award, “Best Play” of 1953. One year later it was succeeded by a new production making the play to become a classic one. The play up to date is the central work of the American drama canon

The play is set in New England, Puritan, where Roger Williams, the Rhode Island founder, demands his right to act as per his personal conscience. Henry David Thoreau, during the nineteenth century, considers the exercising of the right as a moral responsibility, even if its exercising resulted in law breaking. The right of an individual to follow their conscience makes part of American heritages. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows the way an ordinary individual staying in an oppressive community can gain tragic figure by sacrificing their life than betray their conscience.

Salem is a disturbed and divided community. Hidden in its sacred crusade include the self-interested as well as the vengeful petty grievances. The town’s minister, Reverend Paris, desperately trying stabilizing his power hence is more interested about maintaining his social status than ministering to congregation. His daughter Betty is seen nakedly dancing in forest with Tituba, Abigail Williams, and other girls (Miller 241). This makes him fear that the scandal would bring his ministry down. Thomas Putnam is troubled because he desires an excuse of confiscating his neighbor’s land. Ann, his wife, is jealous of Nurse Rebecca for having children more than she has. Abigail Williams seeks consciously to avenge herself upon Elizabeth Proctor, who had dismissed her from service.

Arthur Miller clearly shows in his play that in such a community, in conflict with itself, and all it needs is to kindle hysteria is a specter of Satan, the essence of devious evil behind which the small-minded individuals hide their own malice and their hunt for power. Afterwards, experts like John Hale come to Salem and finds evil, even where it did not exist. A high court has invested with the infallible judgment acts about the testimony of the finger-pointing witnesses that indiscriminately accuse the innocent people. Miller reveals how judges upon a purge trial direct the witnesses to give appropriate testimonies. A Barbados native, Tituba, confesses to the witchcraft because she is aware of what the authorities need to hear.  Young girls accuse very innocent people so that they can deflect the blame from themselves hence gain publicity and power.

In this miasma of hysteria, Proctor John, a simple farmer, has to be called upon so as to act. Being an independent man, he is not afraid of opposing his minister and working on the Sabbath. He knows of the young girls lying. In the beginning, Proctor is reluctant in acting. He pulls out from the town while trying to prevent his only wife from implicating herself. He has not only known that young girls have been making a fake of social justice but further knows that, in deep down, he is not a believer of witches therefore he is not ready confessing to this heretical opinion (Bloom 314).

Furthermore, Proctor is guilty. He is a sinner who has hidden sins gnawing his conscience. He betrays his wife by committing adultery with Williams Abigail, so he similarly faces the judgment by his wife since he has shaken her faith in him (Miller 241). The writer follows the theme in an American literature that is particularly pronounced in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works. The theme examines ways that private sins and nagging guilt intermix with public sin. In attempt of saving his wife with the town, he must discredit Abigail Williams. However, to do so, Proctor would have exposed his own guilt.

Proctor’s conflict with the court was doomed, since the oppressive court is implacable. Proctor first attempts to present his concrete evidence, however, in the Puritan courts such evidence is taken as suspect. The list of witnesses he presents becomes a basis for suspicion and of further interrogations. Questioning the Puritan court was blasphemy. In these times of religious and political hysteria, everyone, even including the witnesses, was on trial.

Warren Mary, a young girl striving to act responsibly and justly, breaks down under pressure of this court with the hysterical tricks of Abigail. Proctor attempts to expose Abigail for being morally loose woman while he openly implicates himself being an adulterer (Miller 241). However, his wife lies so as to protect him. Though Governor Danforth sees that the accusations about witchcraft are questionable, continues committing himself to the course of injustice instead of admitting the mistake and discrediting the court.

Unlike Rebecca Nurse, a saint, Proctor is willing of lying and confessing to witchcraft in order to live and raises the only family he has. Nevertheless, when he is required to mention the names and hence sign a public confession, conscience does not allow him ruin other people’s names or have his name be used justifying evil. If only he can retain self-dignity by passing succeeding his children anything that is of value. Proctor, being an ordinary man, makes an extraordinary decision hence is resigned dying for his principles (Bloom 314).

The Crucible was opened in 1953 on Broadway by a lukewarm reception; however it was later revitalized Off-Broadway with a lot of successes. Jean-Paul Sartre writes the screenplay in the version of French film of The Crucible. The Crucible, in 1961, was converted into a soap opera, hence being adapted for television in 1967 with George C. Scott being in the lead role. The Crucible forms Miller’s most frequently recorded work both in United States of America and abroad (Bloom 314).

                This play’s main narrative tells the story about the Salem witch hunts that took place in 1692 in Massachusetts. In a much deeper level, Arthur Miller raises several important and powerful questions on human life including morality. However, the play’s most remarkable quality is about it not being so “deep” and “philosophical” by the traditional standards. Miller, in an easy-to-read and short manuscript, opened up the door and mirrored the modern political life.
This play is typically a critique on McCarthyism as well as the 1950s communist scare. Miller views the comparison between the McCarthy trials and the witch hunts, and finds the witch trials being a compelling vehicle of discussing the modern events.

The key themes in the play include: People attaining absolution from powers-that-be through confessing the others’ sins; the community rituals power, such as confession; the political opposition role and consequences of compliance; the polarized world views consequences and mass hysteria and many others. The play is clearly a boundless tragedy, and remains tragedy even for our times. Its characters allow us connect with Millers’ lessons that still apply the witch hunt.

I am convinced as a reader, that Miller’s play shall remain relevant and powerful throughout this twenty-first century. It has left me in dilemma, regarding the world events of 2002 and 2003, which I did not imagine of having before reading this play. I read the play only in a couple hours. The play is an engaging, compelling, and difficult to break down. I personally feel that this text stands the greatest chances of making it into the “top ten” list of the best manuscripts. I recommend this play highly.

Work cited

Bloom, Harold. Arthur Miller’s the Crucible. New York: Bloom’s Literary Criticism, 2008. Print.

MacNeil, D. D., et al. “A novel hermetic differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) sample             crucible.” Thermochimica acta 386.2 (2002): 153-160.

Miller, Arthur, and Susan C. W. Abbotson. The Crucible. London: Methuen Drama, 2010. Print.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Cape Town: Pearson Maskew Miller Longman, 2009. Print.

Yoshikawa, Akira, et al. “Challenge and study for developing of novel single crystalline optical    materials using micro-pulling-down method.” Optical Materials 30.1 (2007): 6-10.