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Arthur miller's hidden meaning behind the crucible
Arthur miller's hidden meaning behind the crucible
Arthur miller's hidden meaning behind the crucible
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The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a dramatic play which portraits the Salem Witch Trials in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Throughout the story the main characters participate in a name game trying to clear their names from accusations of witchcraft. In the end an innocent man takes blame for the issue that arose in the town. As a result of him coming forward, he was hung for his actions. Honesty is the most lacking factor in the character’s lives.
Crucible Summative When reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the leading character John Proctor is persuading his wife not to lie. John says “Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to thee”. The Salem Witch Trials were unfair and unjust. There were hanging innocent people that did not confess. Arthur Miller talks about this in The Crucible, an allegory of The Salem Witch Trials.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play that was written in 1953, set in the late 17th century during the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and it’s believed that Miller’s intention in the book was to have a certain kind of literary style. As well as, the book and play being a very accurate representation of the hysteria and chaos that took over the town in the late 1600’s. Following the story, one of the main protagonists, John Proctor, struggles to survive in the midst of a terrible witch hunt. Miller’s several literary works and techniques have shown through his themes and style of writing he uses throughout the book.
In The Crucible, Arthur Miller creates an indisputable connection between the Salem Witch Trials and the Red Scare, the fear and persecution of suspected communists in the USA between the 40s and 50s. The hysteria and paranoia that took America by storm during the Red Scare are effectively criticized through the use of characters and plot. Through the depiction of the Salem Witch Trials, Miller shows how patterns of investigation, accusation, and punishment are correspondent between the trials and the Red Scare. The common themes of fear, hysteria, and dangerous mob mentality are explored through the use of irony, symbolism, and characterization. Arthur Miller successfully creates an allegory of the Red Scare in The Crucible while showing
‘The Crucible’ written by Arthur Miller is a dramatic protest play written in the 1950s. The play follows the 1690 Salem witch hunts and the chaos caused. Miller allegorises 1950 America and the ridiculous nature of the society through suspicions of communism amongst the population which is mirrored perfectly in the 1690 Salem witch trials. Miller uses stylistic features to explore his disapproval of the American 1950 society in the play. Miller uses lengthy exposition pieces to position his flawed protagonist to be relatable and connect to his audience and the opposing views against the society as Proctor carries his authorial voice.
Have you ever been accused of something you did not do? Unfortunately, this circumstance happened during the second Red Scare of the 1940s-1950s. Joseph McCarthy is the leader of this movement and the founder of McCarthyism. McCarthyism, the act of accusing high government officials of being a part of the Communist Party. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller dramatizes the Salem witch trials through allegory with fearful and miserable tones to illustrate to his audience that hysteria can change one’s actions towards others around them, further explaining the political allegory he creates to show McCarthyism.
Fear, anger, and distrust are feelings that all humans face on a daily basis. In Arthur Miller’s book The Crucible, Abigail Williams’s actions opened Pandora's box in her small town. The story takes place in Salem, a puritan village, and it’s a tale of how a single person can bring havoc to the ones around them. The Crucible acts as a morality play by illustrating how manipulation and panic can cause false accusations that lead to death. Miller shows this through symbolism and characterization of good and evil.
The period during the Cold War had a deeper meaning than just the rivalry between the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and America. Turmoil and trepidation over the threat of the spread of Communism brought change into America. The belief of the integration of Communist spies into the country made the government question the loyalty of Americans. The period in which this anti-communist hysteria occurred was known as the Red Scare. In The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, a town in Salem, Massachusetts is a witness of witchcraft.
“The Crucible” is a timeless play whose ideas can be applied to nearly every time period in history. Arthur Miller’s writing contained insights into human nature and displayed the dangers of hearsay and abuses of power. Those dangers were very present in Arthur Miller’s depiction of the Salem Witch Trials and even in more modern times. Through his fictionalized depiction of the events of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials Miller painted a vivid picture that’s allegories can be compared to even modern events. The events of “The Crucible” are comparable to both the Red Scare and the Covid-19 Pandemic.
In the play “The Crucible” many events lead up to the main idea. These events reflect the Salem witch trials. The characters in this play also display hysteria and power to show how important their impact is on the plot and theme. The characters show motivation and many different behaviors, overall this play shows significance in the themes to portray a larger message and a better understanding of behavior and society between the characters.
Many writers write stories, not only to express themselves, but also to establish a historical effect that is taking place during the time they are composing. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, expresses the historical context of the Salem Witch Trials during the 1600’s through the use of theme, characterization, and setting. The Salem Witch Trials have indicated a link between society during the 1600’s and society that takes place in history. The play takes place in the town of Salem, Massachusetts in the spring of 1692. The Salem Witch Trials were a time of many people who were accused of witchcraft and were hanged if they did not concede.
The Crucible, published in 1953 by Arthur Miller is a very popular book written about the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. While most people use the book to study the Witch Trials, with closer examination it is easy to conclude that it is a direct allegory to the Red Scare and the McCarthy era of 1950s America. An allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters or objects in the story represent an outside meaning. The Crucible is an allegory to the Red Scare and the McCarthy era drastically by its plot, characters, and the flow and outcome of the court trials. To begin with, The Crucible is an allegory because the plot of the book closely resembles the events that occurred during the Red Scare.
This starts a spree of lying and blaming which causes multiple innocent people to be hanged for being accused of witchcraft. One lie started a moment in history people today call crazy, unacceptable, and unrepeatable. “The Crucible” is a play that explains, through a crazy but remarkable story, why lying is a sin. In the present, lying could occur more frequently that truth is told.
Cruelty is a recurrent theme in literature that often acts as a critical factor in a novel’s development. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the occurrence of cruelty is seen to be gradually increasing as the story goes on from accusations of witchcraft that lead into chaos and death. Through Miller’s depiction of the merciless accusations and murders of innocent people, cruelty reveals a high extent of people’s animosity and vengeance that is greatly influenced by the attitude of the surrounding atmosphere. The accusations first began when the girls who were caught “dancing” in the forest were under pressure to confess what they were truly doing.
Though, some of his more popular plays are Death of Salesman, All my sons, A view from the Bridge, and The Crucible. The Crucible, is based around the Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts. Arthur wrote this play as an allegory of McCarthyism, which is a story that has characters or events that are a symbol of some kind whether its historical, political, as well as many other things. However, it also means making accusations without proof. His play The Crucible, is an allegory of McCarthyism because he takes the events that unfolded during the Salem witch trials.