The Crucible Analysis PDF

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Analytical essay of The Crucible by Arthur Miller with reference to McCarthyism....

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Word Count: 1218 Arthur Miller’s chilling play ‘The Crucible’, outlines one of the most horrific chapters in human history, the Salem witch hunts of 1692. However, this captivating tale is shrouded with links with the McCarthyism of Miller’s own time. In this allegorical play, Miller sought to expose the human condition and the lengths people will go to save themselves. He uses characters and the Salem witch trials themselves to explore these ideas. His brilliant use of metaphors, irony and symbolism makes this story a classic and just as relevant in today’s society as it was in Miller’s time. The plays title, ‘The Crucible’ is an object used to melt down and extract purities and Miller uses this to his advantage portraying the witch trials as a crucible for the characters in the play, heating them until their purities or goodness was extracted. McCarthyism was a term used for the vociferous trials led by Joseph McCarthy against alleged communist sympathisers during the 1950’s (Miller’s lifetime). Miller wrote this play to criticise the hysteria in his own society without being prosecuted as a communist. The Crucible displays clear parallels between ‘The Salem Trials’ and ‘The Red Scare’ with references to leader’s misuse of power due to the general public’s hysteria, fear and paranoia. The characters apprehension and superstition combined with the unhealed wounds of old grudges all lead to their ultimate demise. The Government, both during the McCarthy era and depicted in the play, use their power to impose justice however their misguided morals and the “your either with us or against us”, view of the world leads to chaos in their societies. Miller uses allegory to highlight the comparable societies and uncover clear similarities with McCarthyism and the trials. In the play, the characters that are first seen as weak like the protagonist John Proctor, or Giles Corey who incriminated his own wife of witchcraft by getting caught up in the hysteria of the early trials, transform as the limit of their morality is tested. The title of the play ‘The Crucible’, is a metaphor for the witch trials. Inside a crucible precious metals are heated up so their purities can be extracted, this in essence is what occurs with some characters during the play when heat is applied to them by the trials. Unlike Abigail Williams the vivacious girl out to save herself, we see other characters grow and change as the witch trials continue. This is most recognisable in John Proctor who starts as an adulterer, scared to tell the truth in fear of his name being blackened in the town, to a man who dies with his goodness. Miller develops Proctor’s character as a common man the reader can relate to and empathise with. In the beginning John refuses to expose Abigail’s lie in fear of what consequences he may have to face. Proctor tells Elizabeth that “I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail” and “She told it to me in a room alone—I have no proof for it”[ CITATION Art53 \l 3081 ]. These quotes symbolize John before the trials push him to his limit, here he is only worried about the repercussions he could face. John’s attitude at the start of the play is a stark contrast to his attitude at the end. After the ‘heat’ in the form of Elizabeth being arrested and Proctor himself being condemned if he does not confess to a false crime, Proctors’ goodness emerges. This can be seen because Proctor states, “Pray God it speak some goodness for me” [ CITATION Art53 \l 3081 ], this is Proctor’s last quote referring to his decision to be condemned instead of lying to save himself. This final quote demonstrates Proctor’s purity finally being drawn out because of the ‘heat’ of the witch trials. Miller uses Proctor to represent aspects of the human condition and lengths different individuals are willing to go. The human condition is the characteristics, situations and key events which create the essentials of the human existence. It outlines the morals and ethics of individuals and shows how different events dictate how strong their morality is. The Salem villagers exhibit failings and human weakness, including greed, vengeance, and fear, which eventually lead to the downfall of their town. This is a key theme during the play. Abigail Williams the main antagonist of the play, described to have “an

endless capacity for dissembling” [ CITATION Art53 \l 3081 ], is not seen to care about anything but her own agenda and is willing to condemn others in place of herself, as she did at the very start of the play with Tituba and many more times throughout. Contrastingly, Rebecca Nurse never wavers from her righteousness always believing in a higher judgment even in death. Both Abigail and Rebecca Nurse are essentially unrealistic and while people like them may exist, majority of the population is somewhere in between those characters. These people are represented by John Proctor who is willing to ‘confess’ his sins and lie but not to condemn others in his place, who is willing to say his sins out loud but has too much pride to have them written down and posted on the church and ultimately retracts his false confession and chooses to die an honest man. This is also seen in Giles Corey, who condemns his own wife by giving in to the paranoia of the trials however, Giles tries to prove her innocence and in doing so also refuses to name any of his accomplices ensuring they could not be punished like his wife was. It is through these characters that Miller tries to expose that pride, hope, vengeance, fear and paranoia are all part of the human condition and since the human condition does not change ‘The Crucible’s’ message is relevant even in todays society. Miller uses numerous poetic techniques to convey key messages in the play. He uses them to portray the human condition and emphasise the fear and paranoia during the witch trials. “Don’t lie! She comes to me while I sleep; she’s always making me dream corruptions” [ CITATION Art53 \l 3081 ], this quote spoken by Abigail is highly ironic because Abigail is accusing someone else of being untruthful when she herself is lying. Miller uses irony to expose human weaknesses of fear and what it can make some people do. He also uses symbolism and allegory through the clear parallels with McCarthyism and the crucible symbolising the witch trials. These were used to ensure that the play’s key messages would stay significant even in today’s modern era. The comparison Miller was able to make between 1690’s Salem and 1950’s American McCarthyism demonstrates that the human condition does not change, and that Miller’s message is just as relevant today, as it was in the past. He successfully demonstrates the truth about human weakness when affected by mass paranoia and fear. Miller illustrates the realities of society and the human condition in his classic allegorical play ‘The Crucible’. He uses the play to point out the misuse of power that can occur when hysteria, paranoia and fear are widespread in the community. Miller also uses the characters themselves to relay key messages and through use of poetic techniques he ultimately succeeds in exposing the truth about the human condition.

Bibliography Miller, A. (1953). The Crucible. New York: Dramatists Play Service Inc....