The Crucible Arthur Miller The Crucible Reading Schedule

The Crucible Arthur Miller

The Crucible: Reading Schedule • Act 1: Tues. 10/11 • Act 2: Tues. 10/18 – Conflict chart due • Act 3: Tues. 10/25 – Act 3 questions due • Act 4: Tues. 11/1 – Tragic hero chart due

"By whatever means it is accomplished, the prime business of a play is to arouse the passions of its audience so that by the route of passion may be opened up a new relationship between a man and men, and between men and Man. Drama is akin to the other inventions of man in that it ought to help us know more, and not merely to spend our feelings. " Arthur Miller 1915 -2005

Influencing Factors • Born in Manhattan in 1915 to Jewish immigrants, Miller was shaped by the failure of his father's garment manufacturing business in the late 1920 s. • Witnessing the social decay caused by the Depression and his father's desperation had a tremendous impact on Miller and his writing. • Miller’s work condemned the American ideal of prosperity on the grounds that few can pursue it without making dangerous moral compromises.

Pioneer of American drama • Miller gained fame with his plays All My Sons (1947) & Death of a Salesman (winner of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama) • His work examines the disillusioned terrain of the human heart as well as "the work of the individual conscience when pitted against the uniform thinking of the mob" (New Yorker). • Miller condemned the American ideal of prosperity on the grounds that few can pursue it without making dangerous moral compromises.

Miller & Monroe* • His next play was not produced until 1964. After the Fall, a work about a lawyer named Quentin coming to grips with his turbulent past and self-perceived moral inadequacy, was influenced by Miller's tumultuous fiveyear marriage (1956 -1961) to pop-icon Marilyn Monroe. • Miller’s most recent play, Finishing the Picture--based on the making of the 1961 film The Misfits, which he wrote for Monroe-premiered in October 2004.

The Cold War in America

The Red Scare • Shortly after the end of World War I, a “Red Scare” took hold of the nation. Named after the red flag of the USSR (now Russia), the “Reds” were seen as a threat to the democracy of the United States. • Fear, paranoia, and hysteria gripped the nation, and many innocent people were questioned and then jailed for expressing any view which was seen as anti. Democratic or anti-American. • In June of 1940, Congress passed the Alien Registration Act, which required anyone who was not a legal resident of the United States to file a statement of their occupational and personal status, which included a record of their political beliefs. • The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was established in 1938, had the job of investigating those who were suspected of attempting to overthrow or threatening the democracy of the U. S.

HUAC-ing Hollywood • As the Alien Registration Act gathered the information, the HUAC began hunting down those who were believed to be a threat to American beliefs. • The HUAC established that Communist beliefs were being spread via mass media. At this time, movies were becoming more liberal, and therefore, were believed to be a threat; many felt that Hollywood was attempting to propagandize Communist beliefs. • In September of 1947, the HUAC subpoenaed nineteen witnesses (most of whom were actors, directors, and writers) who had previously refused to comment, claiming their Fifth Amendment rights. Eleven of the seventeen were called to testify; only one actually spoke on the stand—the remaining ten refused to speak and were labeled the “Hollywood Ten. ”

Blacklisting • After these infamous ten refused to speak, executives from the movie industry met to decide how best to handle the bad press. They decided to suspend all ten without pay. Although the initial intention was to save their box office reputation, what eventually resulted was as decade-long blacklist. • Hundreds of people who worked in the industry were told to point the finger naming those who had any affiliation with the Communist party. As a result, over 200 people lost their jobs and were unable to find anyone who would hire them. The Communist withhunt ruined the careers of hundreds, and ruined the reputation of hundreds more.

Joseph Mc. Carthy In February of 1950, a Republican senator from Wisconsin names Joseph Mc. Carthy claimed to have a list of over 200 card-carrying members of the Communist party. By 1951, a new flourish of accusations began and a new wave were subpoenaed to “names”—to snitch on those who were Communists or believed to be Communist sympathizers. Later, the terms Mc. Carthy Trials and Mc. Carthyism were coined, which described the anti-Communist movement and trials of the 1950 s.

Mc. Carthyism • Mc. Carthyism came to mean false charges of disloyalty. • In September 1950, goaded by Mc. Carthy, Congress passed the Mc. Carran Internal Security Act, which established a Subversive Activities Control Board to monitor Communist influence in the United States.

Giving birth to fear • As Cold War paranoia pervaded the country, Miller penned his third major play, The Crucible (1953), as a response to these Mc. Carthy trials. • Three years later, he was called to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) and was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to name those he knew to have Communist sympathies (he was eventually cleared of the charges).

Fallout • Miller admitted to the HUAC that he had attended meetings, but denied that he was a Communist. • He had attended, among others, four or five writer's meetings sponsored by the Communist Party in 1947, supported a Peace Conference at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, and signed many appeals and protests. • Refusing to name others who had associated with leftist or suspected Communist groups, Miller was cited for contempt of Congress

Mc. Carthyism • Mc. Carthy’s influence continued until 1954, when the Senate censured him for abusing his colleagues. His career collapsed. • Fears of subversion continued though. Communities banned books; teachers, academics, civil servants, and entertainers lost jobs; unwarranted attacks ruined lives.

Miller’s Crucible

Crucible • A crucible is a vessel of a very refractory material (as porcelain) used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat – a severe test – a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development

Universal Connections • Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory, a work that represents something much deeper, between the 1690 Salem witch trials and the current events that were spreading throughout the United States at the time. • The play warned that a similar “witch hunt” was happening in the United States—and this time, the accused were those who were a part of the Communist Party or who were Communist sympathizers.

A universal connection “At first I rejected the idea of a play on the subject. My own rationality was too strong, I thought, to really allow me to capture this wildly irrational outbreak. A drama cannot merely describe an emotion, it has to become that emotion. But gradually, over weeks, a living connection between myself and Salem, and between Salem and Washington, was made in my mind—for whatever else they might be, I saw that the hearings in Washington were profoundly and avowedly ritualistic. After all, in almost every case the Committee knew in advance what they wanted the witness to give them: the names of his comrades in the [Communist] Party. The FBI had long since infiltrated the Party, and informers had long ago identified the participants in various meetings. ”

A universal connection “The main point of the hearings, precisely as in seventeenth-century Salem, was that the accused make public confession, damn his confederates as well as his Devil master, and guarantee his sterling new allegiance by breaking disgusting old vows— whereupon he was let loose to rejoin the society of extremely decent people. In other words, the same spiritual nugget lay folded within both procedures— an act of contrition done not in solemn privacy but out in public air. ” -Arthur Miller

A universal connection “In effect, it came down to a governmental decree of moral guilt that could easily be made to disappear by ritual speech: intoning names of fellow sinners and recanting former beliefs. This last was probably the saddest and truest part of the charade, for by the early 1950 s there were few, and even fewer in the arts, who had not left behind their illusions about the Soviets. ” It was this immaterial element, the surreal spiritual transaction, that now fascinated me, for the rituals of guilt and confession followed all the forms of a religious inquisition, except, of course, that the offended parties were not God and his ministers but a congressional committee…” -A. Miller

The Puritans Mrs. Snipes

Who were the Puritans? • Puritans were a branch of the Protestant church • Their movement began in the 16 th and 17 th centuries • Although they preferred to be called “the godly, ” they were given the name “Puritans” for their struggle to reform or purify the Church of England

Two Types of Puritans: • • Separatists Held irreconcilable differences with the Church of England; they thought the church was corrupt and that they must distance themselves from i Were persecuted under various monarchies in England First fled from England to Holland Later, came to found the Plymouth Colony in America in 1620 Non-Separatists • Held less extreme views of the Church of England • Believed in church reform rather than an overthrow of the church • Came to America in 1630 and founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Doctrine of Election / Predestination: • Man is innately sinful; original sin means that we are incapable of any depravity • Only those who are chosen by God (the elect) are saved; salvation is not based on your beliefs or good works • The grace of Christ allows the chosen the strength to follow the will of God • The chosen will follow the path of righteousness

Predestination continued… No one knew who was or was not saved. Puritans believed that you must have a conversion experience in order to be accepted by God’s grace was given to the chosen, and this grace was demonstrated through one’s behavior. Puritans would, therefore, reflect upon themselves (self-examination) for signs of this grace. So, even though they did not believe good works helped one get into heaven, they believed that living a godly life was evidence of being chosen.

As a result of their belief in predestination, Puritans: • Were always looking for signs • Scrutinized daily events • Thought there was always a reason for everything • Felt that God’s hand was in everything, no matter how insignificant

Puritan Beliefs & Values: • Puritans believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible • They believed in explicit readings of the Bible, as opposed to church doctrines • They did not believe in excess worship; they wanted no rituals, adornments, no stained glass, no cushioned pews, no singing, and no music • They wanted to keep things simple so that they could concentrate on God • There is a constant struggle between the forces of God and Satan • God rewards the good and punishes the wicked

Education & Work Ethic: • • • Children were not allowed to play games; boys were taught to go hunting and fishing, while girls were taught how to run a household Women were considered less capable intellectually, physically, theologically, and morally (Eve was the first sinner) Literature for pleasure was highly censored They believed in • living a virtuous, selfexamined life • strict discipline and had a strong work ethic • • They felt that qualities that led to economic success were virtuous They valued education Harvard was founded in 1636 to train ministers They wanted their children to get far away from the evils of England

Puritan Literature & Writings: • • They did not write for pleasure or entertainment. One reason was the fact that they were struggling to built their settlement. Another reason was the fact that they considered works of fiction frivolous and possibly immoral. Types of texts: - historical documents: preserving their history and offering justifications to relieve the guilt they felt over leaving relatives behind in England - personal journals: as tools for self-reflection/ examination and as a way to look for signs of salvation - poetry, but highly inspired by religious beliefs - religious tracts

Puritan Plain Style: • Plain Style: a mode of expression characterized by its clarity, accessibility, straightforwardness, simplicity, and lack of ornamentation. In early America, the plain style aesthetic had broad cultural relevance, shaping the language of prose and poetry, the design of furniture and architecture, painting and other visual arts. Rejecting ornamental flourishes and superfluous decoration as sinful vanity, plain stylists worked to glorify God in their expressions rather than to show off their own artistry or claim any renown for themselves. This aesthetic appealed to both Puritans and Quakers.

The Crucible Play overview

Synopsis • Set in the village of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible tells the story of what happens when the town's pastor, Reverend Parris, spies his young daughter, Betty, and a group of other girls from his church, dancing in the woods. • Betty is in a “coma” and her cousin, Abigail, admits that they were indeed dancing and accuses Betty of faking her illness to escape punishment. A neighbor, Ann Putnam arrives and says that her daughter is behaving strangely also, and that she has heard the rumor that Betty has been seen flying like a witch. • Putnam declares her suspicion that Parris's slave, Tituba has been introducing the girls to native spirituals and practices. Reverend Hale is called in for a consultation on whether this is a case of some evil invading the community. • Once the charge of possible witchcraft is leveled, there is no turning back for the people of Salem. As the play progresses we learn of the disputes and jealousies that resided in this farming community whose law is the dogma of their faith and whose judges must uphold not only the law but the authority and power of the church.

Major Characters • • • Abigail Williams An orphan and Rev. Parris' 19 -year-old niece, she leads the other girls in the accusations. She has recently been fired from the service of the Proctors after Elizabeth discovers she and Proctor were having an affair. Reverend Samuel Parris Salem’s minister who has not found popularity in the small town, especially with John Proctor. Betty Parris’ 10 -year-old daughter who is caught dancing in the woods. After she falls “ill”, rumors of witchcraft blaze through town. Tituba Rev. Parris' slave from Barbados who has taught the girls about spirits. Thomas Putman A mean spirited and wealthy landowner who covets his neighbors' property. He is accused of coercing his daughter to accuse people in order to gain their land. Ann Putman His wife, who is embittered by the still births of seven babies. She blames supernatural forces for their deaths. • • John Proctor He is outspoken and well respected. He has stopped going to church and wrestles with telling the truth or protecting his wife Elizabeth Proctor John's wife who has discovered his affair. She is a virtuous woman but struggles to show Proctor affection after her discovery. Danforth deputy governor of Massachusetts and the presiding judge at the witch trials. Honest and scrupulous, at least in his own mind, Danforth is convinced that he is doing right in rooting out witchcraft. Mary Warren Proctors’ servant; she struggles to tell the truth during the trial. Reverend John Hale A self appointed expert on witchcraft, he is the minister who is first called in to investigate the happenings in Salem. Giles Corey A farmer and one of the oldest and most outspoken men in the community. Francis Nurse One of the most respected elders in town, he is the husband to Rebecca Nurse A much revered woman in the town who is a midwife and mother of 17 children.

Themes, motifs, and other relevant ideas

Abuse of Power • An overriding theme of The Crucible is the abuse of power. The power of the church and its ministers to the Puritan community is paramount to the whole witchcraft trial. Miller creates a world where the authorities of the church and town use fear as a method of controlling the people of the town and the townspeople use the compensating defense of invoking the power of gossip and slander. • Scholar and philosopher, Lord Actin (1834 -1902) has been credited with the saying: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. " In the story of the Salem witch trials, Miller is able to show the domino effect of that corruption. In the end the only people left standing are awaiting the hangman's noose. The Crucible reminds us that we must always question the status quo, as well as the power structures and authorities that we allow--by our vote and consent--to govern us.

Betrayal • “The question is not the reality of witches but the power of authority to define the nature of the real, and the desire, on the part of individuals and the state, to identify those whose purging will relieve a sense of anxiety and guilt. What lay behind the procedures of both witch trial and political hearings was a familiar American need to assert a recoverable innocence even if the only guarantee of such innocence lay in the displacement of guilt onto others. To sustain the integrity of their own names, the accused were invited to offer the names of others, even though to do so would be to make them complicit in procedures they despised and hence to damage their sense of themselves. And here is a theme that connects virtually all of Miller’s plays: betrayal, of the self is no less than that of others. ” – C. Bigsby

Seductive nature of power • “Beyond anything else The Crucible is a study in power and the mechanisms by which power is sustained, challenged, and lost…In the landscape of The Crucible, on the one hand stands the church, which provides the defining language within which all social, political, and moral debate is conducted. On the other stand those usually deprived of power—the black slave Tituba and the young children—who suddenly gain access to an authority as absolute as that which had previously subordinated them…Those socially marginalized move to the very center of social action…The Crucible is a play about the seductive nature of power…”

Universal Appeal • “[The Crucible] is Arthur Miller’s most frequently produced play not, I think, because it addresses affairs of the state nor even because it offers us the tragic sight of a man who dies to save his conception of himself and the world, but because audiences understand all too well that the breaking of charity is no less a truth of their own lives than it is an account of historical processes… • “The Crucible reminds us how fragile is our grasp on those shared values that are the foundation of any society. ” – C. Bigsby

Courage “…the play’s success now owes little to the political and social context in which it was written. It stands, instead, as a study of the debilitating power of guilt, the seductions of power, the flawed nature of the individual and of the society to which the individual owes allegiance. It stands as a testimony to the ease with which we betray those very values essential to our survival, but also the courage with which some men and women can challenge what seems to be a ruling orthodoxy. ” -C. Bigsby

Sources • www. ibiblio. org/miller • Christopher Bigsby. Introduction to The Crucible. Penguin Books. 1995. • Colonials information: Carrie Snipes