Crucible_Group_1

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 * // The Crucible //, By Arthur Miller** [[image:200px-Cruciblecover.jpg align="right" caption="The Crucible (play)"]]

The Crucible is a play designed by Arthur Miller during the McCarthyism time period. It's purpose was to parody the "Red Scare" that was occuring throughout citizens of the U.S. as they baselessly accused other citizens as being communists. McCarthyism was a policy in the United States enacted in the midst of the Cold War. As the Soviet Union became an adversarial force against the United States, people feared that communists would infiltrate the nation and disturb the peace.

The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the colonial era. Salem was a theocratical state, as the church had a major influence in the daily lives its denizens. During this time, the church used intangible forces in order to create terror and fear, therefore maintaining control and preventing uprisings. Witches began to be a feared entity that spread around the colonies, as people constantly accused those amongst themselves as witches. The convicted would often be put into unfair trials and sentenced to death.
 * Author Information**

Arthur Miller was born in Manhattan, New York. During October 17th, 1915. His father was a clothes-manufacturer. After living in Brooklyn for most of his childhood, he went to the University of Michigan, graduating with his Bachelors' Degree in English in 1938.

During the 1940s, he wrote small stories and plays. In 1948, he wrote //Death of a Salesman// receiving critical acclaim and winning a Tony Award for best play and a Pulitzer Prize. When the //Red Scare// was occuring, Miller went to Salem, Massachusetts to research the witch trials of 1692. This is where he acquired the inspiration to write //The Crucible//; which he published January 22, 1953.

**Characters**


 * **Abigail Williams** - a teenage girl and the daughter of Reverend Parris. She is well-respected and is known to be "white". She was formerly Proctor's housemaid, and has had affairs with him. They soon separated, and Abigail sought to reunite with him. She was caught by Parris "practicing withcraft" and soon created dissence within the village, as she starts to accuse people of being witches along with a group of girls.
 * **John Proctor** - a respected farmer in his thirties. He is married to Elizabeth Proctor and have had affairs with Abigail Williams. He is a well-built man that emphasizes honor. He and Elizabeth had a tenuous relationship, however they reconciled in the conclusion of the play. He is aware of Abigail's exploits and pursued to do justice against her; however in the end he is accused as a witch and is hanged to death.
 * **Reverend Parris** - the current leader of Salem's church. He is a very pessimistic and materialistic man, having speaking only "fire and brimstone" in his preaches. He also demanded golden candles in his sanctuary, showing his materialistic values. After Abigail ran into conflict, he began a downward spiral to his eventual displacement, while deliberately trying to protect his status throughout the play.
 * **Reverend Hale** - a prominent figure in the play. He represents the dynamic morals of the citizens of Salem, as he initially believed Abigail's stories and cast off Proctor's warnings. Towards the end of the play, he begins to feel remorse for his actions, and tried to save Proctor from being sentenced to death. He fails however, and storms off of the village in a fury.
 * **Judge Danforth** - a judge that leads the Salem case, having a bad reputation in other towns, he sought to recover his name in Salem. He is implied to have believed Proctor's warnings, but continues on with the case in order to protect himself. He is shown as ruthless, gullible, and represents the wrath of the witch trials.

**Plot**

The play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. The play begins in the woods, as Abigail, her sister, and other girls began ritual dancing with the Parris' servant: Tituba. She is soon discovered by Reverend Parris and the girls dispersed. After being confronted by Parris, Abigail denies having done witchcraft and describes it as being "simple dancing". Reverend Hale then arrives to Salem, and Abigail soon "confesses" to witchcraft, and begins chanting names of people that were allegedly involved with witchcraft as the two reverends rejoice.

The play then returns and opens in the Proctors' residence. As John Proctor returns to his home after a day's work, the couple begins to have dinner. Their distant relationship between each other is exposed as the two argues about John's past affair with Abigail. In the midst of the argument, their servant Mary Warren returns home and reports that she is a court official. She bore news that Elizabeth's name was mentioned in court, and gives her a poppet before going to bed. Reverend Hale then enters the house, interrogating the citizens of Salem in order to acquire more information about them. John then reveals that he has been doing misdeeds towards the church and his religion, and that Abigail and the other girls are lying. They are interrupted by Giles Corey and Francis Nurse, who reported that their respective wives have been arrested. This soon came true for Elizabeth as a party arrives to arrest her, and her poppet was suspected to be a voodoo doll. The act then concludes with John forcibly commanding Mary to reveal Abigail's lies.

About a month later, the play returns in a courtroom where the girls are testifying against alleged "witches". John Proctor and Mary Warren arrives with the purpose of trying to expose Abigail. They are confronted by Judge Danforth, and it is revealed that Elizabeth is pregnant (in order to prolong her life). John Proctor also states that Abigail once had an affair with John, as doing so would discredit her testimonies. However, Elizabeth is unaware of this, and the couple is interrogated by Judge Danforth in a climatical moment of the play. Elizabeth; previously never letting go of John's past sin, decides to protect his name and states that John had never cheated on her. This seals her fate as Judge Danforth thinks that John was lying, dismissing his claims.

During the trial, Mary Warren tried to argue against Abigail, and states that their feigned suffering was done in order to prove people to be witches cursing them. The Judge then orders Mary Warren to try fainting on command, and she is unable to do so; further turning the favor towards Abigail. A series of events then occured as Abigail and the girls act as if they were being cursed by Mary, until Mary breaks down and desperately took Abigail's side. She accuses John Proctor as being a warlock, and the act ends as John Proctor erupts into anger and the court spirals into chaos.

The last act opens with John Proctor being chained inside a jail cell. Elizabeth and Reverend Hale arrives and tries to convince him to "confess" to witchcraft, in order to save his life as confessing to witchcraft would eliminate the death sentence. John eventually gives in and confesses to Judge Danforth. However, Danforth then reveals that he wanted John to sign a declaration in order to nail to the village church, or else the confession is invalid. John fears that this will tarnish his and other Salem citizens' names, and refuses to sign it. This seals his fate, and the play concludes as he and Rebecca Nurse (another respected citizen) is sent to the gallows.


 * Quotations **


 * "I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you... I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" - //Abigail Williams//
 * "There be so many cows wanderin' the highroads, now their masters are in the jails; and much disagreement who they will belong to now." //- Cheever//
 * "Great stones they lay upon his [Giles Corey] chest until he plead aye or nay." //- Elizabeth Proctor//
 * "My name is good in the village!" //- Abigail Williams//
 * "I say-- I say-- God is dead!" //- John Proctor//
 * "...Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!" //- John Proctor//