Abstract This paper shows how Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" and Eugene Ionesco's "Rhinoceros" comment on those inherent conditions of mankind that never seem to change. It explains that these two plays indicate that there are some elements that seem timeless when it comes to what humans are capable of and what they have not learned throughout civilization.
From the Paper "The tragedy that occurred with the Salem Witch Trials, and many other events throughout time, both before and after the trials, has stood as a reminder to mankind of how unjust man can be. It stands as a reality that cannot be forgotten, a very powerful reminder of the inherently evil nature of man. As such a powerful reminder it has also stood as a powerful theme within literature and drama. Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" is clearly testament to that fact."
Abstract This paper explains the similarities between Arthur Miller's allegorical play "The Crucible" and McCarthyism. The paper describes the anti-communist McCarthy hearings of the early 1950's and Miller's use of the Salem Witch trials as a parallel.
From the Paper "Arthur Miller has acknowledged that he wrote "The Crucible," the famous play regarding the Salem witch trials as a reaction to the era of McCarthyism. Senator Joseph McCarthy began a crusade to rid the United States of Communists. The McCarthy hearings took place from to. During these hearings those suspected of being Communist or Communist supporters were interviewed and forced to give up names of other communists. If the person would not comply they were imprisoned and their reputation was tarnished."
Tags:crucible, mccarthyism, witch trials, salem, joseph mccarthy, arthur miller
Abstract This paper will discuss "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. The symbolic value of the crucible within the play as espoused by Reverend Hale will be discussed and why it was important in the play. By analyzing this theme in the story the main thesis of the tale can be revealed and will make the axis of the book become realized by the religious foundations that are present within it.
Abstract The paper discusses "The Crucible", written by Arthur Miller in the 50's in response to the turmoil in the US at the time of Senator Joseph McCarthy, when Americans were accusing each other of pro-Communist beliefs. The paper highlights the many intentional similarities between "The Crucible" and the McCarthy era and explains that Miller himself was a victim of this era. The paper discusses the period of the Cold War, the blacklisting of actors and how Miller himself was "turned in", which prompted him to write "The Crucible". The paper highlights that McCarthy's campaign was false and corrupt.
From the Paper "The reason why many people migrate to the US is so they can express themselves without being punished. Our country was founded on the belief that anyone has the freedom to say or feel whatever they want, and arresting them for expressing themselves is breaking the constitution. Arthur Miller never planned on writing "The Crucible"; he took action when free speech evolved into keeping your mouth shut to stay out of trouble. One of Miller's industry friends, a director named Elia Kazan, had been a member of the American Communist party for a few months before the Red Scare occurred".
Tags: exaggeration, common, enemy, cold, war, witchcraft, red, scare
Abstract This paper presents the play, "The Crucible", written by Arthur Miller at the height of the McCarthy period. The paper contends that Miller wrote the play about the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th Century as a parable for what was going on around him. The paper illustrates that, whereas the unfortunate "witches" in "The Crucible" were actually executed, the "witches" of the McCarthy era were executed socially, economically, and ideologically.
From the Paper "Perhaps one of the best accounts of both historical events is found within Arthur Miller's 1953 play, The Crucible, written in the height of the McCarthy period. At the time of its writing, the United States was entering into a period that is now described virtually universally as ?dark.? In it, a feeling of general threat pervaded the country?a threat, it was believed, in which Communists inside the United States would threaten the national security of the nation (today known as the "Homeland"). Further, the government sought to convey a sense of urgency and fear, seeking to galvanize public opinion in favor of the immense spending that would support the new "Cold War"
Against the terrorist?oops, I mean Communist threat."
Abstract This paper explains that the parallels, in the plot of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" and the "Red Scare" of the 1950s, bring to light the unconstitutional lawlessness committed by Senator Joseph McCarthy and his House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC), a committee designed to identify and persecute Americans who were members of the Communist party. The author points out that, from the play, John Proctor's character and principles and how he persists in carrying them out directly pertain to Arthur Miller's role in the HUAC hearings. This paper states that Arthur Miller wrote "The Crucible" to keep the detrimental effects of mass hysteria in the conscious minds of Americans and people everywhere because the moment that these mistakes are forgotten they are doomed to be repeated. This paper includes a playwright chronology.
From the Paper "Understanding why Miller writes about the mass hysteria and paranoia of the Salem witch-hunts can partly come from reflecting on his life during the Red Scare. Although Miller himself was not a communist when he was subpoenaed in 1956 by HUAC, he refused to name names when the HUAC asked him about people who attended the same meetings as he once did. "I declined to make any such statement, which I found demeaning; what right had any organisation [sic] to demand anyone's pledge of loyalty?" The HUAC asked Miller very specific questions about the others who participated in what McCarthy and his followers perceived as disloyal to America."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the play "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. Specifically, it discusses whether justice was denied to those accused during the Salem Witch trials. The paper describes the 17th century justice system and how belief systems, superstition and religion blended to corrupt the system and condemn innocent victims. It discusses "The Crucible" in the context of this history.
From the Paper "If only considering the facts of the play, which are based on historical characters and documents, it is easier to see how the courts could and would rule for witchcraft. The pious Puritans of the day took the Devil and his powers seriously, and it was entirely possible to them that the Devil could (and would) bewitch children in order to bring new, innocent blood into his demonic world. However, using today's less rigid religious standards make the outcome of the trials seem ridiculous and completely unjust. Today, most people do not consider witchcraft a reality, and so, basing a court decision on the confession of bewitched young women seems almost ludicrous. As critic Bloom maintains, "Today's audience cannot take the possibility of witchcraft seriously; the implication for us is that no enlightened citizen of any age would be able to take it seriously" (Bloom 45). Thus, if the reader places himself or herself in the 17th century, the verdicts against the accused might make more sense, but they still indicate a lack of justice and reliance on the law."
Abstract This paper explains that a crucible is a large heat resistant container used to melt and fuse metals at very high temperatures and that it is used as a symbol of severe trials in Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible". The author points out that, in this play, which takes place during the Salem witch trials, all of the characters are put through a severe test or trial of character and judgment. The paper relates that, because of everything they had to endure during these events, many of the characters experienced numerous changes; however, some of the characters do not change despite the events. The author suggests that, of all the characters in the play, Reverend Hale went through the most changes in his personality and his general nature. The paper states that, realizing what is going on around him, Hale takes it upon himself to fight the court with Proctor and help bring back justice to Salem.
From the Paper "Similarly, Judge Danforth does not undergo any changes throughout the play. Like Paris, Danforth cares only about his name and reputation, rather than doing his job and dispensing justice. He is a very obstinate man who does not care to listen to anybody's explanations. As soon as it seems he might be proven wrong he throws them in jail claiming they were "attacking the court", therefore questioning his authority and questioning God. He fears being seen as flippant and will consequently do everything in his power, including prosecuting innocent men and women."
Abstract This paper discusses how both "American Beauty" and "The Crucible" are texts written to emphasize flaws within the American society at different periods in history. The paper first looks at how "American Beauty", which was created at the end of the 20th century when there was an increasing dissatisfaction with the American Dream, depicts Alan Ball and Sam Mendes', the composers, contemporary opinions of Western society and is an illustration of how the American Dream is often a facade for dysfunctional relationships. In comparison, the paper then examines how "The Crucible", which is set in 1692, during the unstable times of the Salem Witch trials, was written as an allegory by Arthur Miller, and demonstrates the similarities between the situation in Salem and McCarthyism in the 1950s.
From the Paper "American Beauty was produced at a time when people were beginning to realize that the American Dream is full of unfulfilled desires, repressed dreams and shattered hopes. Alan Ball and Sam Mendes highlight the flaws of this vision through characters in the text. Lester Burnham, the main protagonist of the text, is not content with his suburban life. "Look at me, jerking off in the shower -- this will be the high point of my day. It's all downhill from here." He has a respectable occupation as a magazine executive and a family he once enjoyed the company of however he feels that his he lives a meaningless existence, "in a way, I am dead already." His only daughter Jane has issues with her body image and wishes her father would take interest in her life. "I need a father who's a role model, not some horny geek-boy who's gonna spray his shorts every time I bring a girlfriend home from school." And his wife is stuck in a loveless marriage and doesn't allow her husband to touch her. "Our marriage is just for show. "
Abstract This paper first explains that vengeance and its expression is a primary emotion within Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible". Next, the author investigates the plot involving the characters of Abigail, Elizabeth Proctor and John Proctor as each character seeks to right a former wrong. The paper relates that this history-based play is a satire of McCarthyism, which was rampant at the time of the play's debut, in regards to creating a climate of paranoia, hysteria and hypocrisy, which results in vengeful impulses.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Crucible of Vengeance
Conclusion
From the Paper "The character of Abigail expresses further vengeance in her attempt at bringing down Mrs. Proctor with her through an accusation of witchcraft practice. At first Abigail denies her involvement in the act, however upon realizing the power accorded to her by the community when she seems to accept it, she indirectly realizes a strategy to acquire both revenge and power for herself. Abigail uses this power to try and destroy the marriage of the Proctors through the accusation of Elizabeth Proctor as a witch, her wish to cause discord and emerge on top overriding the personal desire to safety."
Abstract This essay compares and contrasts the D.H. Lawrence short story "The Rocking Horse Winner" with Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible". Love and hate, sin and forgiveness are the themes explored in this comparative analysis.
From the Paper "The short story by D.H. Lawrence and the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller are worlds apart in time and place. The Rocking Horse takes place in England in more modern times, while the Crucible is in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1700's. Yet despite this there are some similarities in the theme of both. "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is a short story. The mother feels no real love for her husband or children. All she wants is money. That is her only love and the only affection she wants. The boy realizes this and attempts to give his mother what she wants most. As the people accused of witchcraft in Salem are isolated, so is the child as he rides his rocking horse to find the name of the winner of the race. The mother is greedy and heartless. The ministers and judges in the Crucible are greedy and money is their God."
Abstract This paper reviews Arthur Miller's play, ?The Crucible?. It presents an in-depth character study of the characters in the play, attempting to ascertain the guilt or innocence of each one. A synopsis of the plot is given, through which the character study is achieved.
From the Paper "Danforth is the Deputy Governor of Massachusetts. Could he be a suspect? Could he possibly be a witch? The play certainly shows that he is evil in continuing the proceedings rather than admit he was ever wrong. He is, after all, the judge, who presides at the witch trials. He believes he is an honest man. He is relentless in his pursuit of the Witches of Salem. He has convinced himself and others that he is doing the right thing to clean out the den of Witches and purify the town of Salem once again. Even when Reverend John Hale backs away from his belief that John Proctor is a witch, Danforth refuses to listen. He and the theocracy of the town have no desire to stop the trials because to do so would be to expose himself as a sham. The theocracy is the ruling body of the town, a combination of politics and religion."
A comparison of the movie "The Crucible" with the book on which story it was based, "Salem Possessed: the Social Origins of Witchcraft" by Paul S. Boyer.
Abstract The paper shows that the movie, "The Crucible" was derived entirely from the book entitled, "Salem Possessed: the Social Origins of Witchcraft" by Paul S. Boyer, with only a few differences, owing to technical limitations in movie production. The paper compares both book and movie and shows how the characters are presented in both.
From the Paper "Rather than genuine witchcraft or evil magic, historic researches on these witch trials reveal social, political and economic forces as the motivations behind, and true causes of, the spread of the witch craze in the colonies. For one, Salem Town and Salem Village had distinct occupations: Salem town was in the professions, such as inn-keeping, pottery, sawmill operation and shoemaking and gaining wealth though the then new economic order called capitalism. Salem Village, on the other hand, remained in the farm. The Villagers wanted to have their own church, which was necessary for the break they wanted to have from the Puritans, but which Salem town refused them. The Villages saw the town people grow richer, greedier and less devoted to the community."
Abstract This compares the Salem witch trials with the House of Un-American Activities Committee. It explains that the Salem trials in "The Crucible" are a pervasive parallel to the witch-hunts of the Un-American Activities Committee.
Abstract This paper discuss the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 as written by Arthur Miller in his play the Crucible and compares it to the work of the Un-American Activities Committee in America during the post war years.
