The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in 1953, is a play that depicts the Salem witch trials of 1692. The play is a commentary on the McCarthy era, during which Miller himself was accused of communist sympathies. The play uses propaganda to depict how the Salem witch trials were fueled by fear, hysteria, and the desire for power. This essay will explore the different types of propaganda used in The Crucible and how they serve to further the play's themes and messages. One of the most prevalent forms of propaganda in The Crucible is fear-mongering. The characters in the play are constantly worried about their reputations, their families, and their lives. The idea of witchcraft and the devil's influence is used to create an atmosphere of fear and terror. The characters are afraid of being accused of witchcraft themselves and will do almost anything to avoid being labeled as such. This fear is used by the authorities in the play to control and manipulate the population. For example, when Reverend Parris discovers his daughter Betty and several other girls dancing in the woods, he immediately assumes that they were practicing witchcraft. He uses this fear of witchcraft to control the community and to gain power over his rivals. …show more content…
The play depicts a society in which the accused are assumed to be guilty until proven innocent. The characters in the play are quick to assume that anyone who is accused of witchcraft is guilty and has made a pact with the devil. This assumption leads to the demonization of innocent people, such as Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor. Both of these characters are accused of witchcraft even though they have done nothing wrong. The demonization of these characters is used to create a sense of righteousness among the accusers and to justify their
In “The Crucible” hysteria spread by teenage girls in hopes of love in Salem during 1692 causes a drastic number of unfair trials that lacked people's rights, ways of proof, and solid evidence which affects the lives of many innocently accused people of the puritan community. Arthur Miller uses the theme of vengeance; mostly shows the use of ethos in the play to inform the reader of the ways people of the puritan society thought; uses logos to show the lack of logic and science within the community. Arthur Miller's “The Crucible” symbolizes the UNFAIR government in 1692 AND in 1920 during the communist era of THE RED SCARE. Mr. Miller asserts, “Inevitably, it was no sooner known that my new play was about Salem than I had to confront the charge
The Crucible manifests the Purtianś ideology of witchery during the 1690s. Salem has several social factors throughout the town and essentially, the beliefs of witchcraft in Salem uprises chaos. When reading a play such as The Crucible, it becomes apparent that the conduct of Salem town during the witch trials are fearful, selfish, and prideful when it is viewed through the Psychological Lens. Throughout each act, these components are motivating factors behind actions during The Crucible.
She’s a witch! He’s a Communist! Two very famous accusations that pivoted the lives of many Americans throughout history. The Crucible by Arthur Miller paints a picture of the 1690’s Puritan settlement in Salem, Massachusetts who conducted witch trials to rid the town of people who had been taken over by the Devil and accused anyone who had ever wronged them, and without any evidence they were hanged for equating with the Devil. Arthur Miller, who was a famous author living during the 1950’s, wrote this play to allegorize the Communist Red Scare when the government and paranoid citizens hunted for Communists in America, and without much evidence, thousands of Americans were deported.
In The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Mills in 1953, the setting takes place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Crucible demonstrates the effects of the Salem Witch trials and how it led to mass murder. This production provides insight on the lives of the accused, what the causes were, and how society dealt with it. Mills’s production pointed out the brutality that politics and government or “the law” introduced in towns including Salem. Throughout the play we discover what contributors led to the mass hysteria and just how strongly it could deceive people.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play which criticizes the injustice suffered by the people accused of witchcraft in Salem in the 1690s as an analogy to the people accused of communism in the United States
Twenty-five men and women died of false accusations against themselves in the 17th Century Salem Witch trials. Two hundred five leaders in the US government were accused of being communist by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Both historical events make a negative parallel to each other, thus exposing the detrimental effects of fear and selfishness on humans. Author Miller in the play, “The Crucible”, uses a jealous and destructive tone that draws striking similarities between the witch-hunt that took place in the 17th Century Salem and the communist hunt led by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. Miller uses the tool of allegory to reveal the dangerous consequences of falsely accusing individuals and exposing the motives of those in power who use fear and manipulation to maintain control.
Dorothy McCoy once popularly said “Manipulation is a contagious disease. Much more dangerous than the flu because it can endure for a lifetime”. This quote embodies the fact that all it takes is 1 lie, 1 exaggeration, or 1 myth to ruin a person’s life-or-many lives in the case of The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In this play, one lie turned into a complete disaster with people being accused of witchcraft left and right leaving no one spared. Some of the accused chose to “confess” to their sorcery in order to save their lives while others upheld their integrity and died in the process.
John Proctor and the rest of the inmates were able to convince the town of Salem that witches are not real, and they would not give up their confessions so that Abigail and her Ashouri 5 friends can torment others. Even though, they have proven a point to the town, they lost their lives in the process. In conclusion, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play reflecting on a historic milestone.
Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a political allegory because it uses characters from the Salem witch trials, such as Reverend Hale, to criticize the uncontrolled use of authority of McCarthy during the era of McCarthyism. In terms of harsh treatment, theocracy, and biased arguments made by people in authority, the McCarthy hearings and the witch hunt share certain historical similarities. For example, in the play Parris and Hale argue, “ Parris: This is a clear attack upon the court! Hale, to Parris, trying to contain himself: Is every defense an attack upon the court?
The crucible is a historical fiction text that is well known throughout the world and is a staple in English literature. In 1952 Arthur Miller, a popular writer in the 50s, set the stage for a dramatic act of the Salem Witch trials. Miller wrote this play not only to shed light on the tragedy that is the Salem witch trials, but also a subject that hit closer to home for him; the red scare. He wrote the essay “Why I Wrote the Crucible to educate his readers and viewers on the true purpose of the story.” Miller explains in his writing through logical historical examples, comparisons to the Red Scare and McCarthyism to the Salem Witch trials through strong illustrations of personal experiences.
People were being hanged in front of the town, and as those accused did not want to meet the same fate, they confessed because they were in fear. This was very effective in the Crucible as it was able to create tension among the town of Salem. It caused people to fear, and turn against each other and create mass tension. Fear was a very important type of propaganda in the Crucible, but there is one more very important
Throughout history the fear of corruption and change has compelled people to go to drastic measures to prevent it. The Crucible, a play by arthur Miller, is set in an environment of religious citizens who fear that the devil and witchcraft will corrupt their society. Much like The Crucible, McCarthyism caused the citizens in America to fear corruption of the government by communism. Arthur Miller used his play the crucible as a direct response to McCarthyism and through this play Miller writes about the Salem witch trials during the McCarthy period to comment on how history repeats itself. The social and political factors in The Crucible resemble those in America during the red scare and McCarthyism.
In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, witchcraft occurs in a petite colonial town of Salem, Massachusetts. A sickness causes the town to run rampant; as if some think it is witchcraft. A rumor is running through the town that Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty, is sick and is supposedly a “victim of witchcraft.” Parris scolds his niece, Abigail, because he catches her, along with Betty, dancing in the forest. Parris is nervous the rumor is true.
In The Crucible, Arthur Miller creates an indisputable connection between the Salem Witch Trials and the Red Scare, the fear and persecution of suspected communists in the USA between the 40s and 50s. The hysteria and paranoia that took America by storm during the Red Scare are effectively criticized through the use of characters and plot. Through the depiction of the Salem Witch Trials, Miller shows how patterns of investigation, accusation, and punishment are correspondent between the trials and the Red Scare. The common themes of fear, hysteria, and dangerous mob mentality are explored through the use of irony, symbolism, and characterization. Arthur Miller successfully creates an allegory of the Red Scare in The Crucible while showing
John Proctor is the protagonist of the play The Crucible. Proctor is a well-respected farmer who has a strong sense of personal integrity. He is reluctant to get involved in the witch trials, but when his wife is accused of witchcraft, he soon realizes his reputation is at stake. In Act II, line 269, John explains how harsh this place has become, “I never knew until tonight that the world is gone daft with this nonsense” (p.615). When John is acted to sign a confession admitting to witchcraft, he refuses because he knows that if he signs the false confession it will ruin his reputation.