2. ARTHUR MILLER – THE AUTHOR
• Born in 1915 and passed away in 2005.
• American Playwright and Writer
• In 1953 he wrote The Crucible. This uses the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692
to attack the “witch hunts” of the 1950s.
• After the publication of The Crucible, Miller was investigated for possible
connections with the communist party!
• He refused to give information regarding his colleagues and was found guilty
of contempt of court. Luckily, his sentence was later overturned.
3. THE CRUCIBLE CONSISTS OF THESE MAIN KEYS
OF HISTORY!
• McCarthyism
• Puritanism
• Witchcraft
4. MCCARTHYISM
• McCarthyism - a period of intense suspicion in the United States during the
early 1950s.
• McCarthyism began when Senator Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from
Wisconsin, claimed that communists had invaded the Department of State.
• People accused of being communists were often denied employment in both
the public and private sector.
• Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, was one of the people “blacklisted.”
5. PURITANISM
• Puritanism - Christian faith that originated in England during the early 1600s
• They split from the Church of England in 1633
• Many puritans came to America for a better society!
• Their radical beliefs flourished in the new world.
6. WITCHCRAFT IN SALEM
• Like all Puritans, the residents of Salem believed in witches and in witchcraft
; The hysteria began in early 1692.
• They considered witchcraft both a sin and a crime.
• Reverend Parris’s daughter and Abigail Williams started having fits of
anger, screaming, and hallucination.
• A doctor examined the girls and concluded that the only explanation for these
bizarre behaviors was witchcraft.
• By the time court was dismissed, 27 people had been convicted, 19
hanged, and 1 pressed to death.
7.
8. ABIGAIL WILLIAMS
• She is the niece of Reverend
Parris ; Also is orphaned.
• She is extremely jealous of
Elizabeth Proctor and uses her
power in the town to get rid of
Elizabeth, as well others who
insulted her in the past.
• Also, is the leader of the girls.
9. JOHN PROCTOR
• Husband to Elizabeth.
• He had an affair with Abigail
when she was employed in his
household.
• He knows that the girls are
pretending. However, he cannot
tell what he knows without
revealing having been alone
with Abigail.
• Also, refuses to admit to
witchcraft or to consider Abigail
is a liar.
• The result = He is hanged.
10. ELIZABETH PROCTOR
• Wife of John Proctor
• Discovers her
husband, John, having an affair
with Abigail Williams.
• She is Abigail's main target but is
saved from hanging because of
her pregnancy.
• Feels responsible for driving her
husband to careless acts of
judgment.
11. TITUBA
• Servant to the Parris’ household;
A native of Barbados.
• She is enlisted by Ruth Putnam
and Abigail to cast spells and
create charms.
• When tough times call, she
confesses to everyone, and
saves herself from severe
punishment.
12. REVEREND PARRIS
• Pastor of the church in Salem.
• The father of Betty and the uncle
of Abigail Williams.
• Believes that he is being
persecuted and that the
townspeople do not respect his
position as a man of God.
13. DEPUTY GOVERNOR DANFORTH
• Feels greatly that the girls are
honest.
• Sensitive to presence of the
devil, so information is reacted
immediately to what is
presented.
14. ALL OF THE GIRLS
• Betty Parris - Daughter of the
Reverend, cousin to Abigail
Williams. She is a weak girl who goes
along with her cousin as soon as she is
threatened.
• Susanna Walcott - She is initially sent
between Parris and Dr. Griggs to
determine the cause of Betty's ailment.
• Mercy Lewis - Servant to the Putnam
household. She is a merciless girl who
seems to delight in the girls' activities.
• Mary Warren - Servant to the Proctor
household. Abigail uses her to effectively
accuse Elizabeth. John Proctor takes
Mary to the court to confess that the girls
are only pretending.
15. DRAMA STRUCTURE IN THE CRUCIBLE
• Exposition – When the girls are in the forest dancing with Tituba, they
seemed to be be-witched.
• Conflict – Between the townspeople of Salem and people being accused of
witchcraft.
• Rising Action – When the witch hunt escalates, and several women are tried
for witchcraft, and hung.
• Climax – The Proctors are accused of witchcraft ; John confesses his
adultery to his wife!
• Falling Action – John Proctor holds up his innocence.
• Resolution – John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are hung. Elizabeth is spared.