One Word, Three Meanings In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Hannah Doherty
Mrs. Jones
American Lit. and Comp.
10, November 2015
One Word, Three Meanings In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there is clear evidence as to why he named the story, The Crucible. John Proctor battles conflicts between himself and others and stands up for what he believes in, Abigail Williams’ is motivated to keep the truth hidden so she is not punished, and Elizabeth Proctor is torn on what the best thing to do is. During this test, all of these obstacles come together brewing up a nasty solution causing dangerous reactions throughout the story.
The term “crucible” can be used metaphorically; a test or a trial. People refer to the term when talking about a difficult test. In The Crucible, there are many of test that are

Not only does a “crucible” mean a test or trial, but it is also means a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures. The contents of this container are fueled by lies and rumors being made up about each person in the town of Salem. With all the feelings, emotions, and blasphemy going on in the town, the town is finally brought to a “melting point”. At first, slaves were the victims of everything. Eventually, witchcraft became an issue when well-known citizens started getting accused, such as, Rebecca Nurse, George Jacobs, and Elizabeth Proctor. Innocent lives are being put on trial and now it has turned out to be an opportunity to seek vengeance. Personal altercations become the reason for the false claims being made, thus heating up the feud between the set of people who are blind to the pretense of the girls who are denying dancing in the woods naked, and those who can see through their devilish deeds. Mary Warren reaches her “boiling point” with Proctor, which causes a conflict between the two. Mary Warren could not take all the drama anymore. When Proctor told Mary to tell Judge Danforth the truth, Mary Warren yelled “Don’t touch me- don’t touch me!” (Miller, The Crucible Act 4 1105). Within seconds, Mary Warren completely changed her story and lied, which then lead to more accusations, bubbling up the

This time, it is a different test. Crucible can also mean a test designed to bring about change or reveal an individual's true character. Combining the first two definitions together, Miller burns away the characters’ outer shells to reveal their true intentions and personalities. He peels away each layer from characters slowly throughout the story so that not only can the audience identify their true identities, but the audience can also observe each character as if they were being put to the test. For most of play, John Proctor feels poorly about himself because of his affair with Abigail Williams. He did not want to tell his wife at first, because he did not want Elizabeth Proctor to think that he did not love her anymore, but she ends up finding out, peeling a layer off of Proctor. At the end of the play though, he is forced to decide what he is really made of. At that point, he decides that he cares most about the truth and is willing to die for it. On the other side, Elizabeth is also forced to chose between having a husband that supports her and doing what is best for John. She ends up deciding based on what she thinks is best for John. “I am not your judge, I cannot be. Do as you will, do as you will!” (Miller, The Crucible Act 4, 552-554). Peeling a layer off, showing that she does not care about just herself and would put loved ones before anyone else. Peeling layers off one by one, slowly, John and Elizabeth proctor end up