• Home Page
  • The Allegories Of Mccarthyism In Miller And The Crucible By Arthur Miller

The Allegories Of Mccarthyism In Miller And The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Great Essays
Show More
The Former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said, “A trial without witnesses, when it involves a criminal accusation, a criminal matter, is not a true trial” (“Accusation Quotes”). This quote relates to all the untrue allegations of the McCarthyism cases and the book The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. McCarthyism was led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, they were accusations made by him during the 1950s against people that had a chance of being a communist. In the book, The Crucible, Abigail Williams, the main antagonist, was not necessarily looking for witches, but she would make it appear that other people were witches. The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600s. Both situations are allegories for one another, …show more content…
First off, in The Crucible the Puritans are all about God and they are afraid of him (and going against Him-Hell, devil, witches) and they do not want the evil to spread. McCarthyism also relates to this because the country was afraid of the communism spreading throughout the country, the Red Scare. Next, as a result of being scared this lead to them being afraid of being accused. In The Crucible people would blame others in order for them not to be accused. For example Abigail said, “I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osbourn...Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (Miller 48). During McCarthyism, McCarthy would blame people of being a communist and they would be accused of it and sometimes they would lose their jobs (“Joseph R. McCarthy”). Thirdly, each society is not willing to stand up for others. The townspeople in The Crucible would want the good people of their town to die just because they were accused of being a witch. For example, Mary Warren was originally lying then John Proctor convinced her to tell the truth, but then as she is telling the truth she switches her story by saying that Proctor is making her say these things, “Let me go, Mr. Proctor, I cannot, I cannot--” (Miller 109). During the early 1950s, McCarthyism had the media against the people being accused and everything was sided to the accuser not the defendant. In conclusion, from general fear to being scared …show more content…
Both The Crucible and McCarthyism had their fair share of unfair trials. These trials nowadays would be looked at as a “criminal matter”. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, and McCarthyism, led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, share the similarities between the antagonists, the societies, and the justice systems. In conclusion, The Crucible and McCarthyism have a strong allegory between the

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    The Crucible: The Red Scare And Mccarthy Trials
    • 249 Words
    • 1 Pages

    The Crucible: The Red Scare And Mccarthy Trials

    “The Red Scare and McCarthy Trials” In 1950, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible on the Salem Witch trials to show the similarity between what was happening currently in the United States and what had happened prior. The “witch-hunt” that was currently happening were people associated with Communism. The “Red Scare” was paranoia across the U.S. after World War I.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Crucible As An Allegory In The Mccarthy Era
    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Crucible As An Allegory In The Mccarthy Era

    McCarthy could say who was a communist and was able to do whatever he wanted with them. McCarthy made all these different laws and bills saying what would happen if you were a communist, he supposedly was trying to stop people from becoming communist. But it didn’t fix anything, just made people more scared. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a purposeful anecdote for the Red Scare in the McCarthy period because of fear of the leader,…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Similarities Between The Crucible And The Mccarthy Era
    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Similarities Between The Crucible And The Mccarthy Era

    The fear in the people is reflected between the two events relates and relates towards the repetition of history. The fear of being accused as communists rose within the American citizens as the McCarthy era took its place in the 1950s. The “witch-hunts” during the era was ordered by the Joseph in order to look for communist sympathisers (American Museum). The people feared these movements because if they were accused, the choice would either be denying the trial and losing their jobs and friends, or accusing their colleagues of communism (American Museum). The similarity between these two events seem to reflect, overall the citizens and people of the McCarthy Era and the Salem Witch Trials were terrified of the false accusations and the fear of being falsely accused for being a witch or a communist.…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Struggle For Power In Arthur Miller's The Crucible
    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Struggle For Power In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    During the Salem Witch Trials, there was a time of hysteria; everyone was accusing everyone, and no one could defend themselves. What the accusers didn’t realize, was that they all had a common motive behind their accusations, and that was power. The power in a Puritan society was only given to specific people, but by making accusations, it could be gained. However, this wasn’t just specific to this time period, because throughout different time periods, power has always come with status, and no matter a person’s position in society, status wants to be gained.…

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    The Role Of Fear In Religion
    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Role Of Fear In Religion

    Fear that if you do the wrong thing, then repercussions will be worse. Arthur Miller is able to display important decisions that were made out of fear during the entirety of The Crucible. Based in the Salem witch trials, a time where fear was present, The Crucible focus on how fear pushed people to protect themselves, no matter the consequences. John Proctor is an excellent case of someone whose fear gets the better of them. John exclaims, “I have confessed myself!…

    • 1506 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Examples Of Fear In The Crucible
    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Fear In The Crucible

    Between the months of February 1692 and and May 1693 in Massachusetts there was a up bringing of rumors of witchcraft in the small town of Salem. In “ The Crucible “ by Arthur Miller revenge is shown through characters, fear is shown through plot , and hysteria is shown through theme. Fear is shown through plot by the lie that has gone too far and is ruining people's lives on telling the truth. In one instance John Proctor is taking Mary Warren to court to confess she lied about everything and so the girls. “ I cannot lie no more.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    The Theme Of Fear In Arthur Miller's The Crucible
    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Theme Of Fear In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    The author of The Crucible wanted the reader of the play to view fear as a bad thing. The entire book was about fear, and what happens when you lie to benefit yourself. The town of Salem should have used logic to figure out that people were lying, and everyone was acting out just to gain more land. they could have prevented all of the hangings and deaths that occurred. Instead, people just kept on letting it happen.…

    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Rhetorical Analysis Of Arthur Miller's The Crucible
    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Rhetorical Analysis Of Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    American Playwright, Arthur Miller, in his allegorical play, The Crucible, recounts a story of the Salem witch trials which took place between 1692 and 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. Miller’s purpose is to narrate a fictional account of a story of the Salem witch trials in third-person omniscient as a metaphorical statement against the spread of McCarthyism during the 1950s in America. In order to appeal to similar feelings and experience in his audience, a critical tone is adopted. Miller begins his allegorical play by acknowledging that John Proctor tries to obtain an understanding among parties in a discussion by pointing out simple facts. In Act 1 with Reverend Parris and further in the text with Putnam Miller displays this.…

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Similarities Between The Salem Witch Trials And The Crucible
    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Similarities Between The Salem Witch Trials And The Crucible

    Both the “Salem Witch Trials” and the “McCarthy Trials” were serious time periods that marked the United States for the rest of eternity. Even though they were centuries apart, both resembled each other in unique ways, but also differentiated in distinctive ways. In “The Crucible” by…

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Essay On The Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible
    • 1643 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Essay On The Salem Witch Trials In The Crucible

    1. The Salem witch hunts in 1692 and the McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s are very similar. The Salem witch hunts were a period in time where people were accusing each other of conjuring the devil to save their own name. In The Crucible, Abigail accuses others in order to save herself from being charged of witchcraft. Early on the play Abigail proclaims, ‘I saw Sarah Good with the Devil!…

    • 1643 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Religion, Repression, And Revenge In Arthur Miller's The Crucible
    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Religion, Repression, And Revenge In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    Religion, repression, and revenge all play vital roles in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, by motivating the citizens’ accusations, rebellion, and mass hysteria. Without these elements, the witch trials would not have taken place. The religion of the Puritans, and their theocratic society caused the witch trials to worsen, citizens to make drastic choices, and fed the spread of mass hysteria throughout Salem. Since no separation between church and state existed, the people were forced to live a godly life in order to keep from breaking the law.…

    • 1091 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Fear In The Crucible
    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Fear In The Crucible

    The Salem Witch Trials in the 1690’s brought sweeping fear across the state of Massachusetts. The fear that satan could be lurking around every corner plagued many, but there was no greater fear than that of being accused of witchcraft. The crime of witchcraft was so horrendous that it was punishable by death. This constant scare caused many to turn on one another, in the hopes of saving themselves. Arthur Miller 's play, The Crucible highlights this deceitful society, and portrayed how many characters responded to fear.…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Allegory In The Crucible
    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Allegory In The Crucible

    In both The Crucible and Red scare, if you get accused, your dead. Anyone would be able to accuse anyone and get away with it. In The Crucible witchcraft was a scary thing, as the same for communism in the Red scare, America was scared of communism in their country so to stop it they would imprison any suspected communists. They would either keep them in prison or kill them afterwards to disperse any further communist acts that they may commit. In The Crucible, after a while of being trialed, they found it to be easier and quicker to kill the suspects on the…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Hysteria And Paranoia In The Crucible
    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hysteria And Paranoia In The Crucible

    The witch trials of Salem is an infamous period of hysteria and paranoia, in which people chose fear over rationality. While many of the accusations were absurd, many are still victims of hysterical accusations, which occurs even today. The play, The Crucible, takes place in Salem, during the 1600 's, as the town is engulfed in the hysteria of witch hunts, which forces the audience to acknowledge the tendencies humans display, in similar situations. Arthur Miller uses his play, The Crucible, to criticize society, during the McCarthy era, of its irrational behaviour, by creating parallels of vengeful tendencies, hysteria and hypocrisy, both present in his society and within the play. The Salem witch trials and the McCarthy era is sometimes referred to as "the time of general-revenge", as people accused others for selfish purposes and out of vengeance.…

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Examples Of Allegory In The Crucible
    • 1285 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Examples Of Allegory In The Crucible

    In The Crucible, there is tremendous fear and paranoia because of the Second Red Scare. People were afraid of communism spreading, they didn 't want there to be no social classes. People were opposed to the idea of it, and started becoming paranoid of people who might be pro-communism, or american traitors, the village people ultimately started pointing fingers at anyone they can because it was easy to blame someone for something and then you be considered safe, because you uncovered them as a traitor. This theme also relates to todays time.…

    • 1285 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings