The Crucible, a four-act play written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is only a slightly fictional reenactment of the Salem Witch Trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692. In gory detail, Arthur Miller’s play not only captures the truth on the terrible events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials, but his inspiration for writing it, the McCarthy Trials, reminds us how quickly history is able to repeat itself. Miller begins The Crucible, “in the spring of the year 1692.” (Miller, 1953) Reverend Samuel Parris’s daughter and his niece Abigail Williams appeared to be experiencing fits of madness after they were discovered dancing naked in the woods. The girls presented with screams, convulsions, and even hallucinations. In reality, the Puritan girls
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The play also mimics the McCarthy era, emphasizing the campaign against alleged communists, as well as, its similarity with the historical Salem Witch Trials. In fact, Miller seamlessly defined every parallel between the McCarthy Trials and the Salem Witch Trials without having to directly connect the two events together. Although writing The Crucible got Miller blacklisted, he recovered his reputation and his career quickly took off as he became world famous. On the other hand, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s career of hunting infiltrated Communists was short lived. McCarthyism was especially difficult on the writers and entertainers labeling many of them as communist sympathizers. The blacklisted had their name and reputation slandered by the attention and heavy media coverage on the McCarthy Trials. Those blacklisted also had to give up their passports, as well as, other privileges like the right to work. Most were left without jobs, while many were sentenced to jail for not having names of other communists to give up as evidence. Some of those well-known artists that were called before the committee were, “Dashiell Hammett, Waldo Salt, Lillian Hellman, Lena Horne, Paul Robeson, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Charlie Chaplin and Group Theatre members Clifford Odets, Elia …show more content…
Dir. Michael Epstein. PBS, 2003. YouTube. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Biography.com Editors. "Arthur Miller Biography." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. "History of the Salem Witch Trials." History of Massachusetts Blog. N.p., 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 20` Nov. 2016.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. N.p.: n.p., 1953.
The play also mimics the McCarthy era, emphasizing the campaign against alleged communists, as well as, its similarity with the historical Salem Witch Trials. In fact, Miller seamlessly defined every parallel between the McCarthy Trials and the Salem Witch Trials without having to directly connect the two events together. Although writing The Crucible got Miller blacklisted, he recovered his reputation and his career quickly took off as he became world famous. On the other hand, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s career of hunting infiltrated Communists was short lived. McCarthyism was especially difficult on the writers and entertainers labeling many of them as communist sympathizers. The blacklisted had their name and reputation slandered by the attention and heavy media coverage on the McCarthy Trials. Those blacklisted also had to give up their passports, as well as, other privileges like the right to work. Most were left without jobs, while many were sentenced to jail for not having names of other communists to give up as evidence. Some of those well-known artists that were called before the committee were, “Dashiell Hammett, Waldo Salt, Lillian Hellman, Lena Horne, Paul Robeson, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Charlie Chaplin and Group Theatre members Clifford Odets, Elia …show more content…
Dir. Michael Epstein. PBS, 2003. YouTube. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Biography.com Editors. "Arthur Miller Biography." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 23 Nov. 2016.
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. "History of the Salem Witch Trials." History of Massachusetts Blog. N.p., 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 20` Nov. 2016.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. N.p.: n.p., 1953.