The Metaphor Of The Crucible In The Crucible: Analyzing Quiet Materialism and Supplement Based on interpretation, the title, The Crucible can be observed as a subtle metaphor for the events throughout the play, even though there is no mention of its significance in the play itself. The metaphor of The Crucible can seen when the town of Salem is the crucible. A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. In Salem, it is a very close-knit community, so everyone knows each other. The hysteria that is spreading through the “crucible” is infecting everyone because it is enclosed and causes them to accuse others of being witches. The town of Salem is a theocracy …show more content…
She is seventeen, a subservient, naive, lonely girl. MARY WARREN: What'll we do? The village is out! I just come from the farm; the whole country's talkin' witchcraft! They'll be callin' us witches, Abby! Abby, we've got to tell. MERCY, pointing and looking at Mary Warren: She means to tell, I know it. MARY WARREN: Abby, we’ve got to tell. Witchery's a hangin' error, a hangin' like they done in Boston two year ago! We must tell the truth, Abby! You'll only be whipped for dancin', and the other things! (Miller.I.17) Similar to how a chemical reaction works, the matter of the elements change, for example, Mary Warren, Mercy, and Abigail are results of the witchcraft chemical reaction. Some chemical reactions give off heat, such as an exothermic reaction, however, the heat that is given off has nowhere to go, so it continues to circulate in the town, causing them to reach a point where the crucible can hold no more. However, the title is a triple entendre in the context of the play and has two different meanings in addition to a container. Add how the tension rises to a boiling point and how John eventually confesses to lechery and witchcraft even though he's innocent and how he got so angered that he ripped up the warrant for Abigail's