Who is the crucible by

A crowd gathers in the Parris home while rumors of witchcraft fill the town. While Parris tries to calm the crowd that has gathered in his home, Abigail talks to some of the other girls, telling them not to admit to anything.

John Proctor, a local farmer, then enters and talks to Abigail alone. Abigail still desires Proctor, but he fends her off and tells her to end her foolishness with the girls. Betty wakes up and begins screaming. Much of the crowd rushes upstairs and gathers in her bedroom, arguing over whether she is bewitched. A separate argument between Proctor, Parris, the argumentative Giles Corey, and the wealthy Thomas Putnam soon ensues.

This dispute centers on money and land deeds, and it suggests that deep fault lines run through the Salem community. As the men argue, Reverend Hale arrives and examines Betty, while Proctor departs. After Parris and Hale interrogate her for a brief time, Tituba confesses to communing with the devil, and she hysterically accuses various townsfolk of consorting with the devil. Suddenly, Abigail joins her, confessing to having seen the devil conspiring and cavorting with other townspeople.

Betty joins them in naming witches, and the crowd is thrown into an uproar. Return to Book Page. Preview — The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The Crucible by Arthur Miller ,. Christopher Bigsby Introduction. Based on historical people and real events, Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. In th "I believe that the reader will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history," Arthur Miller wrote of his classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts.

In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions; and when a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, self-righteous church leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial.

The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor brilliantly illuminates the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence.

Within the text itself, Miller contemplates the parallels, writing, "Political opposition A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence. Get A Copy. Published March 25th by Penguin Books first published More Details Original Title. Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Crucible , please sign up. I haven't finished reading this book but don't we need to consider the fact that it's writting about a real period in history?

By the time this happened in salem, women didn't have power nor respect, we couldn't expect from A. If this is not the case, please explain me why. Lisa I'm not sure I completely understand your question, but here is my answer based on what I see.

In the Puritan world of the s, no women did not hav …more I'm not sure I completely understand your question, but here is my answer based on what I see. In the Puritan world of the s, no women did not have any power or voice in the community. Children had even less power than women did, but in Salem, at that time, the children were heard and they were asked for their opinions and given a great deal of power. They chose who was accused and who was not.

It was an extremely intoxicating combination. Arthur Miller took a great many liberties while writing the play and often times confused true reality with his own version as can be seen in his interviews regarding the play. This play needs to be considered Historical Fiction. It revolves around a real time, a true tragedy, and highlights humans who lived through the Salem Witch Trials, but Abigail was a girl of about 12 and did not have an affair with John Proctor, almost all of the girl's ages were advanced for the story, and much of the scandal around Parris was also exaggerated.

Going back to history, once the girls and their parents realized what accusing neighboring land owners of witch craft could gain them, the accusations ran rampant. Children learned to manipulate situations to garner more attention from their parents, and parents learned to manipulate their children into accusing more and more people for increased wealth.

Arthur Miller used this time in history to show a resemblance to the Red Scare of the s. If you were accused of witchcraft in the s, your land was forfeit when you were hung, and your family lost everything, but if you confessed, you essentially got your life back. In the s, if you were accused of being a Communist, your livelihood was destroyed think Charlie Chaplin , but if you gave up a couple more names, your name got taken off the Black List. My apologies for a very long-winded answer, but I wasn't sure exactly what you were looking for, and I hope this helps.

Michael Headrick It is a criticism of McCarthy's tactics because in both The Crucible and the "The Red Scare," those that were accused and didn't want to be hung The …more It is a criticism of McCarthy's tactics because in both The Crucible and the "The Red Scare," those that were accused and didn't want to be hung The Crucible , or put in jail The Red Scare , confessed and blamed someone else so they could feel like they got off without any form of criticism or punishment.

See all 9 questions about The Crucible…. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details.

More filters. Sort order. Start your review of The Crucible. Mar 18, Deborah Markus rated it it was ok. I hate to rate this so low when it seems that the only people who do so are those forced to read it by a cruel teacher. I'm even more troubled by the fact that I haven't seen anyone else bring up what bothers me about this play. Yes, it's well written -- that is, the dialogue is expertly handled. There are truly beautiful passages, such as this one: I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched w I hate to rate this so low when it seems that the only people who do so are those forced to read it by a cruel teacher.

There are truly beautiful passages, such as this one: I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up.

Men have complex lives and motivations; women's lives center entirely around men, specifically around attraction to and dependence on men.

Miller brought up the very real issues of property and land-lust that dominated the real trial. Why did he insist on sexualizing the girls involved -- to the point where he had to make one of the girls several years older than she really was?

The terrifying thing about what the real "afflicted girls" did was that it comes across as a sort of motiveless malignity. They were lashing out at their own repressive society, possibly egged on by parents who wanted to use them as weapons in battles over land. That's fascinating. Instead, Miller decided to say that the girls really were engaged in "witchcraft" -- or at least in stereotypical witch behavior: dancing naked in the woods at night, concocting evil brews.

He insists that "there are accounts of similar klatches in Europe, where the daughters of the towns would assemble at night and, sometimes with fetishes, sometimes with a selected young man, give themselves to love, with some bastardly results.

He really seems to believe that this went on. Then there's the main character: John Proctor. Can't imagine why I have a hard time sympathizing with him. Imagine you know a family with three young children. They hire an au pair.

The dad has an affair with this young woman -- hardly older than a girl, a virgin, completely inexperienced in life or love. The mom suspects that something is going on and fires her, but stays with the dad. The dad bitches at the mom for always giving him that look and not acting happy to see him all the time.

The mom breaks down crying and admits that her cold behavior must have pushed him into having an affair.

The dad also bitches at the au pair, because this affair got her hopes up and she really thought it meant something to him the way it did to her.

He screams at this teenager who was lucky not to get pregnant, btw, since they didn't use birth control to get over it, already -- he's married and he's staying that way. If you heard about something like this -- maybe it happened to a friend of yours, maybe you read about it in a novel -- would your first sympathy really be with the poor, tormented man who has to put up with all these women acting like he owes them something?

Why has no one pointed out how creepy it is that John Proctor is genuinely supposed to be a sympathetic character, and Abigail is a monster? And by the way -- contrary to what Miller says in his afterword, the only "legend" that "has it that Abigail turned up later as a prostitute in Boston" is the one he started by writing this. I'm not in 9th grade, and I still have problems with this modern classic.

I understand why it is one; but I just can't give it the three "I liked it! View all 79 comments. Sumner To be fair, the setting of the story is back when woman were marginalized. The author was just being historically accurate. I am by no means saying th To be fair, the setting of the story is back when woman were marginalized. I am by no means saying that is good or right, i'm just saying that is how things were.

Nicolas Name Hi Deborah. I read your review and all the comments and your replies below. I thought the most interesting re Hi Deborah. If you ever get a chance to reply to it, I think it would be interesting to hear your opinion regarding that.

He had a wife and two children when he was having an affair with Marilyn Monroe, who he later married, from my understanding. If you think that perspective is lacking in some way, feel free to let me know. Wish you the best, and thanks for the engaging discussion. Where are we? Newt Gingrich has been encouraging people to read The Crucible.

We've agreed to help him. We're in the middle of the second worst witch hunt in American history. After what's going to happen to Donald Trump in But at least our case is remotely comparable, so it offers people a point of reference. Is he going to be pressed under huge stones like my friend Giles Corey? And after a while, he'll have said so many insane and self-incriminating things that a special counsel will be appointed to find out just what the hell is going on.

We have to do something. View all 15 comments. Jun 14, Amalia Gkavea rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites , american-theatre. A masterpiece in the history of Theatre What makes it even more shuttering, is the fact that it has always been relevant to any era, because it represents the fear in front of something we cannot understand, and the need to create witch-hunts in order to cover up our own faults as human beings and as members of our socities. John Proctor is the Everyman, he stands for every human being that is -rightfu A masterpiece in the history of Theatre John Proctor is the Everyman, he stands for every human being that is -rightfully- afraid in front of the face of an inhuman justice, being torchured over imaginary faults and mistakes.

What elevates him to greatness, though, is his fight with himself and the way he wins it over, desperately battling to preserve his honour, his ''name''. I wonder, is our time so very different than those by-gone eras? Are we more understanding now, more open-minded? Do we find the respect we ask for? Do we earn it? I fear we won't like the answer View all 8 comments. Miller wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism, when the United States government persecuted people accused of being communists.

In , in the small town of Salem Massachusetts , rumor has it that a young woman has done an obscene curse. The inhabitants accuse each other and fall prey to an unstoppable mass hysteria, and then a trial begins that may lead to fearsome revenge The Crucible: a play in four acts, Arthur Miller The Crucible is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller.

The inhabitants accuse each other and fall prey to an unstoppable mass hysteria, and then a trial begins that may lead to fearsome revenge Later he collaborated in its adaptation to the cinema, entitled El Cruol and whose script is offered after the play. Dec 09, Manny rated it it was amazing. This is a magnificent play about what happens when hysteria takes over a society, and evil people gain access to the levers of power; something, alas, which happens all too frequently.

The focus of the story is John Proctor's struggle to redeem himself from the horrible guilt he has suffered since committing adultery with Abigail. This is indeed very moving. The actual events of the Salem Witch Trials were very complicated and there were hundreds of people involved so it is a challenge sometimes to retell the story without confusing the audience. It would make sense that Miller might change some things to make the story simpler and easier to understand.

Without it, the details of the actual Salem Witch Trials could get lost or confused with the details of the play and then our understanding of this chapter in American history would be flawed and inaccurate. Sources: Miller, Arthur and Christopher Bigsby. Penguin Books, Burns, Margo. Your email address will not be published. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.

As a result, neighbors distrusted one another and feuds broke out regarding property rights and clear deeds of ownership. Miller incorporates this aspect of the period into the play through the character of Mr. Like Abigail, a hidden agenda guides Putnam, namely his greed for land. He too, will stop at nothing to satisfy his desire, even if attaining his goal means murdering his neighbors by falsely accusing them of witchcraft so he can purchase their lands after their executions.

Miller's title, The Crucible, is appropriate for the play. A crucible is a container made of a substance that can resist great heat ; a crucible is also defined as a severe test. Within the context of the play the term takes on a new meaning: not only is the crucible a test, but a test designed to bring about change or reveal an individual's true character. The witch trials serve as a metaphorical crucible, which burns away the characters' outer shells to reveal their true intentions and character beneath.

Throughout the play, Miller carefully peels away the layers of each character so that the audience not only can identify the character's motivation, but also can reevaluate the character through his or her actions. In other words, the audience observes the character as he or she is tested, and the audience ultimately determines if he or she passes the test. Proctor provides an excellent example.

His affair with Abigail results in a fall from grace, not only with his wife Elizabeth, but also within himself. Proctor believes he is damned and cannot possibly regain Elizabeth's love and respect, not to mention his own self-respect and moral uprightness.

Proctor is tested severely when he goes to the court to defend Elizabeth. In order to save his wife, he must publicly announce his sin and, therefore, lose his good name. Although he gives up his good name in court, he regains it at the end of the play by destroying his signed confession. The audience watches Proctor as the play progresses and judges his actions according to his motivations and reactions to the various "tests" through which he passes.