The characters of Judge Danforth and Reverend Parris both symbolize choosing good for one as opposed to choosing the good for the group. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on the true events of the Salem witch trials. Latest answer posted November 22, 2020 at 10:36:50 AM. The Crucible is a story set in Salem in the 1692 witch hunts. Slideshow 3196964 by amber In this way, The Crucible stands as an allegory for McCarthy 's communist hunt, during which many people were also killed and imprisoned due to accusations of communism. Arthur Miller constructs his play upon the famous Salem witch trails. After Abigail and John had an affair, she was dismissed from the household, and Abigail and her friend, Ann Putnam, began showing signs of being afflicted by witchcraft and accusing people of practicing witchcraft. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you One way in [] Find Free Essays The Crucible by Arthur Miller is allegorical. Be careful, this sample is accessible to everyone. While most people use the book to study the Witch Trials, with closer examination it is easy to conclude that it is a direct allegory to the Red Scare and the McCarthy era of 1950s America. Through all this ignorance and delusional fear, Arthur Miller was inspired to explore the similarities and parallels of the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. The Red Scare caused people to suspect their neighbors and friends and report them as communist sympathizers. The period during the Cold War had a deeper meaning than just the rivalry between the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and America. After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became embroiled in the Cold War. Miller was tried and accused of being a communist sympathizer. On top of this fear of mutually assured destruction, certain parties in the U.S. believed that communist spies and sympathizers had infiltrated all aspects of American life. For instance, throughout The Crucible, Abigail Williams is being shown repeatedly accusing innocent people of witchcraft. Abigail Williams was John Proctor's niece and worked as a servant in John and Elizabeth Proctor's home. In an allegory the character,events, and instances (Definition of Allegory R104). Inspired by reading a detailed account of the events written by Charles W. Upham in 1867, Arthur Miller saw parallels between the hysteria around the Salem witch trials and other public panics in history. An allegory is a story with an obvious meaning but if you look deeper into it, there is another meaning. All rights reserved. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. In the play, Abigail, the main culprit of accusations benefits from hysteria in a situation where naming those guilty will save themselves, I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! The kids that were hanged didnt really understand why the were being hung because they do anything wrong. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. succeed. Hi! When Miller wrote The Crucible, it was his way of expressing himself and how he felt during the McCarthy Era. The play's author, Arthur Miller, was himself a victim of Additional inquiries must be listed separately as individual postings. McCarthy, Arthur Miller felt it necessary to express his political feelings through an authors medium. Did you like this sample? Their reputations allow their judgment to be perceived as correct. In salem 1692 multiple girls were out in the woods dancing and were thought to be possessed and working with the devil. Includes allegory, mccarthyism, biographical info and character lists. Through the play, we follow the character, Abigail, observe her actions and their consequences. Characters like John Proctor, Abigail William and Hathorne represent Arthur Miller, Joseph McCarthy, and J.Edgar Hoover. In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to express what he endured through in the 1950s. WebThe Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1952. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, wrote about the Salem witch trials, but used that story to illustrate the unsubstantiated fear, panic, hysteria of looking for communist supporters in America. There are two ways that stick out to me that The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism. [Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism]. Abbyll charge lechery on you, Mr. Proctor! (Mary Warren, Act 2, pg. WebLearn these 30 words from Act 1 of Arthur Millers 1953 "The Crucible" -- a play that dramatized the late 17th century Salem witch trials and served as an allegory of McCarthyism. Characters like John Proctor, Abigail William and Hathorne represent Arthur Miller, Joseph McCarthy, and J.Edgar Hoover. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: John Proctor, Critical Context (Masterplots II: Juvenile & Young Adult Literature Series), Critical Context (Comprehensive Guide to Drama), http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/philadelphia/grave.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. A famous man once said, There is nothing to fear but fear Many people were targets of McCarthy's "witch hunt," as it was called, especially those involved with film in Hollywood, music in general, other members of the other arts including writers, etc., as well as government workers, union organizers, and even teachers. Miller felt the best way to express himself is to write The Crucible. In addition to these, Miller depicts himself in his play as well. Here is why I think The Crucible is an allegory for the Red Scare. In one account Arthur Miller read, written by the minister Samuel Parris, who was one of the leaders of the witch hunt in Salem, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft by gently touching Elizabeth and then screaming that her fingers were burning. Arthur Miller articulates how the three themes of injustice, hysteria, and reputation are problematic factors for human nature. Miller even uses some of the same characters in his dramatized play that were a part of the original witch trials in Salem. This connects to McCarthyism because once someone was accused of being a communist their life was destroyed, loss of job and bad image. Due to his refusal to answer, the committee charged him with contempt of Congress and sentenced him to a $500 fine or a 30-day stint in jail. The symbolism used What Miller is trying to say in The Crucible is that he is against condemning others with no legitimate reason. When this was over, the hope would be that nothing like it would ever happen again and nothing like it had ever happened before. Miller explained in his hearing that he could speak about his own actions but claimed that naming other people invalidated his First Amendment rights. The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692. Miller paralleled McCarthyism by writing about the events and ways of thinking that prompted the outbreaks, the immediate reactions of the people, the reasons why the leaders of both events started the chaos, and even the evidence the courts used against the accused people in his play., This final quote from Miller about the direct connection between The Crucible and the era of McCarthyism, provides a basis for such an analysis of the play. While no one was put to death, but those put on trial were sometimes black listed, making it impossible for them to work. The hysterical rantings and ravings of McCarthy and his supporters, lost support when people got tired of the national upheaval, the black listing and investigations. While most people use the book to study the Witch Trials, with closer examination it is easy to conclude that it is a direct allegory to the Red Scare and the McCarthy era of 1950s America. Girls accused many citizens in salem claiming they were witches and causing, Stylistic and social elements are imperative to a story, They are a pivotal piece in any master plot line.In The Crucible there are many direct uses of those elements.Elements such as pace, allegory, and cultural theory.These are the most beneficial elements in the crucible that add a key development to the story, thus making it a timeless piece in American literature without these elements it couldt have been a piece that was unchanged through time. This fear, known as the Red Scare, led some Americans to believe that communists would take over America and replace its government with communism. Hollywood director Elia Kazan went in front of the HUAC twice. In 1950 everyone was scared that communism would spread to the united states and McCarthy wanted to get rid of all communist in the united states but instead accused innocent citizens. Rough Draft In his criticism, Phillip Walker questions the purpose of Millers writing and is, Red scare allegory for the crucible How may I live without my name? A Major Role in the Crucible John Proctor, John Proctors Pride in the Play the Crucible, The Crucible as an Allegory to McCarthyism, The Crucible as an Allegory of the Witch Trial, Differences between the Crucible Movie and the Play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller: how Abigail Williams Abused her Power, One of the Main Characters in the Play The Crucible. Miller suffered through accusations of possibly believing in communism; as a result, he wrote a play called The Crucible, in which he used the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 to explain the communist hysteria during the 1950s. She is certifies to teach English Language Arts and Reading and English as a Second Language in Texas for grades 6-12 . This allowed people to get rid of a person and take their job or property. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953 about The Salem Witch Trials of 1692.McCarthyism was the witch hunt for the communist in 1953.the parallels between The Crucible and McCarthyism are naming names,lack of proof ,and reststance. Examine The Crucible as an allegory. flashcard sets. This essay was written by a fellow student. There was deceit, pain, greed, and more. This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. WebIt's no secret that The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism and communist "witch hunts" of the early 1950s. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as his own reaction to the injustice of McCarthyism. Allegories In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, In Arthur Miller 's play The Crucible, false accusations and fear are used to imprison and kill many people accused of being witches. WebThe Crucible As An Allegory Analysis. There are many proven facts that some of the story is not true to the real life events and this confuses many people because Arthur Miller makes his characters so vivid and actually used the real names of the people that were in the trials(Salem Witch Museum). Women are able to attain this power through using their intellect to express manipulation, and lying in order to receive attention that translates into power. WebAn allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters or objects in the story represent an outside meaning. In the early 1950s, many Americans were afraid that communists might infiltrate the American government and cause the U.S. government to fall. The Red Scare was when the people of the United States were scared that communism was going to spread to the United States since communism was becoming popular around the world. In 1951, as playwright Arthur Miller watched these communist "witch hunts" play out in the government and even among his friends in the entertainment industry, he felt compelled to write a play that captured the hysteria of the moment. In this case, the obvious meaning is the Salem witch-hunt and the hidden meaning is McCarthyism. An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- literal and symbolic. In the early 1950s, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy from Wisconsin began leading the crusade to find any and all communists in America. Is the accuser always holy now? The allegorical meaning of the Crucible is that it can be a representation of the Red Scare, the HUAC, and McCarthyism., History is a "chronological record of events." People from all walks of life were accused of communist leanings: government workers, teachers, actors, and writers. In it, young girls, and residents of Salem, begin accusing other people of practicing witchcraft in order to protect themselves from the same accusation or to receive a lighter punishment. The children were often accused if you were related to the person being accused then you were tried as a witch. In Arthur Miller 's play The Crucible, false accusations and fear are used to imprison and kill many people accused of being witches. They are accused of witchcraft, but they claim, She was also in the woods, casting spells that Abigail wanted, when she is accused of calling the devil, she claims the devil came to her and forced her to sign his book with 4 other names. From the start perusing, one may just view Millers work as a distinctive record of the awfulness of This was a time during which the fear for the growth in power of the Soviet Union was spreading in America. Throughout history, authors have had a tendency to write characters that can follow general roles, called archetypes. Examples of archetypes are the hero, the trickster, the temptress, the villain, the innocent and the faithful companion. Other similarities between The Crucible and McCarthyism are not only forced accusations but also false confessions. In The Crucible many people were forced to accuse others, if they didnt cooperate they would be arrested for contempt of court or they would be hanged. The motto on the Crucible was accused or be accused. In The Crucible Proctor is accused of doing devil's work, but he made it clear that, He wants his life, and He will have his life. The Crucible and McCarthyism were alike on this situation because if they confessed they would not die but if they didnt they would. This causes problems because one wants to always keep their reputation highly and clean to promote how they are perceived if one does make an error their reputation is decreased. She has a Master of Education degree. The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller about the witch trials, is an allegory to the Red scare of the 1950s McCarthy era because of the pointing the finger, evidence used in the trials and abuse of power. While being arrested the Proctor's house was searched and asked if she'd had any poppet she had one from earlier, that day that her servant Mary Warren had given to her earlier they found a needle stuck in the stomach earlier that day Abigail had pulled a needle out of her stomach claiming it was Elizabeths spirit Had stabbed her, She was alone when she was supposedly stabbed this proves How bad the credibility of the evidence was. He shows through a story that the witch trials were much more than just people calling others witches. He is just concerned about his well being. The Crucible is a very significant piece of literature from which many things can be learned. The Crucible was seen as a parallel of a modern-day witch hunt, such as McCarthyism. In act 4 of The Crucible, why does John Proctor decide to confess but refuse to sign a written confession? The play is about testing the people of Salem to remove sin from the community. WebThe Crucible is an allegory. WebThe Crucible by Arthur Miller is allegorical. The Crucible is an allegory to the Red Scare and the McCarthy era drastically by its plot, characters, and the flow and outcome of the court trials. McCarthyism is the accusing of people without proper evidence. Throughout the Crucible, it explains the ridiculous trials the people went through to try to prove their innocence. Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Betty is the best direct representation of the American government of the 1950s. Latest answer posted December 16, 2019 at 7:31:02 AM. By comparing McCarthyism to the Salem Witch Trials, Miller is able to communicate that people should not conform to societal trends because these trends may be misleading and cause innocent people to get hurt. WebIn this way, The Crucible stands as an allegory for McCarthy 's communist hunt, during which many people were also killed and imprisoned due to accusations of communism. Eliot's The Burial of The Dead: Analysis & Explanation, Main Characters in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Analysis & Quotes, Allusion in the Crucible by Arthur Miller | Examples & Overview. In The Crucible, people were, Purification Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. A brief intro to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Their evidence was, at worst, completely made up, and at best it was vague. An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically being either moral, used in The Crucible is allegory. Miller writes, No, I did notI did notI speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. The accusations of communism led to a nation-wide hysteria and fear of who was going to be named next. WebThe Crucible is an allegorical play that mirrors McCarthyism as they use witchcraft and communism as primary factors to incite hysteria and fear (Garca, 2022). Perhaps Miller was particularly sensitive to this modern-day "witch hunt" because he had some fleeting associations with the American Communist Party. McCarthyism is a term describing a period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States around the 1950s. He uses the scenes and characters to represent the real-life occurrences. I'm Amy, One of the plays main antagonists, Deputy Governor Danforth, oversees the witch trials and refuses to end them until everyone who he believes is guilty is punished. The detail makes a larger impact. Similar to an extended metaphor. Arthur Miller published the play during As mentioned in the Background page of the test, since, Judge Danforths aforementioned quote on page 1324 shows his concern for himself and his reputation rather than the lives of the multitude of innocent Salem civilians whose lives depend on his verdict. These events, whether positive or tragic, often repeat themselves. Discover how Miller used the Pay the writer only for a finished, plagiarism-free essay that meets all your requirements. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. WebAll hallmarks of the two major witch hunts in the American past, the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Trials. Arthur Millers 'The Crucible' is an extended metaphor representing the parallels between the Salem witch-hunts and accusations of communism during the McCarthyism era. 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