Classics

The Crucible

The Crucible

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-08-04 05:51:36
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Arthur Miller
  • ISBN：0142437336
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Summary

"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。 Based on historical people and real events， Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria。 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。

Written in 1953， The Crucible is a mirror Miller uses to reflect the anti-communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch-hunts" in the United States。 Within the text itself， Miller contemplates the parallels， writing， "Political opposition。。。 is given an inhumane overlay， which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized behavior。 A political policy is equated with moral right， and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence。"

WIth an introduction by Christopher Bigsby。
（back cover）

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Reviews

Ehrun Omuemu ，

I personally resonate with Tituba。

Julie ，

3。5 stars

Carol ，

Betrayal， adultery， men lying and incriminating innocent women。 Need I say more？

Sid R。 Kercenna ，

This is a play I read and watched many times， a work over which I spent long long hours of writing and analysis for my American literature class。 And after all this time， I still find it tempting， exciting， and intriguing！The work can be read as an allegorical depiction of communism， but I prefer its other side。 Its greatness， in my opinion， rests with its characteristics as a study of human nature and the most basic instincts which can only come to the surface when Man is dragged out of the saf This is a play I read and watched many times， a work over which I spent long long hours of writing and analysis for my American literature class。 And after all this time， I still find it tempting， exciting， and intriguing！The work can be read as an allegorical depiction of communism， but I prefer its other side。 Its greatness， in my opinion， rests with its characteristics as a study of human nature and the most basic instincts which can only come to the surface when Man is dragged out of the safety of his cocoon and thrown into the merciless jaws of fear。 I read many reviews before writing this and some of them were brilliant。 And yet most if not all glorify Proctor as a man who had died for his "name"。 What went inside of Proctor's mind and soul is very hard to put into simple words， but I invite you to consider his position and ask yourselves， did he value his "name" or the manner in which people regarded him？ Do not forget that the man had held his tongue and kept mute for a long time in order to save "his name" that is to say his reputation as a good man and a pious husband。 All along， however， he knew that he wasn't。 He cheated on his wife， he involved two women in his domestic drama， and just wanted to keep his public image as a clean slate。 Many people had suffered serious consequences on account of his silence。 He HAD the opportunity to stop the trials and the hunt before it turned to a massacre and a mass hysteria， but he preferred silence in order to keep the dark side of his character as an adulterer hidden from the world。 In light of the foregoing I ask you again， did Proctor care for his integrity or reputation？ Apart from Proctor， his choices， and his life， the play offers one of the best and deepest studies in human nature。 It shows rather than tells how power is born and transmitted。 Abigail， at the beginning， is at the bottom end of the social system。 As a young and unmarried girl she is only superior in rank to the black slaves。 By the fourth act， however， she is above everyone！ The judges at the trial not only treat her with respect but abide by her decisions。 WHY？ that is the question; The answer is FEAR。 Abigail is smart。 She had seen much of the injustice of her society and understood very well how things work。 Accordingly， she set about her task in a simple and yet cunning manner。 Prudent at first， she had displayed a great deal of intelligence。 But in the course of time， she did not even have to try anymore。 The world was at her feet！ All she had to do was to cry out WITCH and the sad wretch at whom the finger was pointed would be jailed or hanged。 This brings us a step closer to mass hysteria。 Fear is contagious among the masses！ Do you think all these rational adults have just braced themselves and believed the witchcraft tale spun by a bunch of kids？！ No！ But just like Proctor， each had his own reasons to play along。 Some striving for power， some for recognition， others out of fear the pointing finger would turn against them。 Eventually the game grew to colossal proportions and truth was no longer sought after。 It became a simple struggle to survive the crisis no matter how many bodies would hang in the process。 Overall， this is a brilliant work， and one which you can read， and reread over and over again discovering each time something new about the play and about yourselves。 。。。more

Paula （lovebookscl） ，

Woah

Martin Ramsay ，

In “The Crucible” Arthur Miller raises a number of concerns that go to the heart of good governance。 He revisits a story from the small New England town of Salem， in the 1600s， where a number of trials for witchcraft were held for the purpose of settling personal vendettas。 In this outwardly， deeply Christian community， the trials were a desperate attempt to purge the town of the Devil。 Stories of girls dancing by themselves in the forest fill the townspeople with terror！ In this situation， hyst In “The Crucible” Arthur Miller raises a number of concerns that go to the heart of good governance。 He revisits a story from the small New England town of Salem， in the 1600s， where a number of trials for witchcraft were held for the purpose of settling personal vendettas。 In this outwardly， deeply Christian community， the trials were a desperate attempt to purge the town of the Devil。 Stories of girls dancing by themselves in the forest fill the townspeople with terror！ In this situation， hysteria is shown to overwhelm common sense and personal reputations built over many years are destroyed。 Miller examines the nature of the hysteria to lay bare for his 1950s audience the ways in which McCarthyism was destroying American society by exploiting similar fears about communism。The dangers of this kind of binary thinking are overwhelming but Miller also points to the importance of a personal sense of morality and how it can raise the individual above this kind of hysteria。 In this way， the 'crucible' of the title can be seen as a test， both on the societal and the individual level。 。。。more

Bloo ，

I read this in my third year of high school and let's just say it really made a lasting impression on me especially with the ending。。。what was up with that？？ I read this in my third year of high school and let's just say it really made a lasting impression on me especially with the ending。。。what was up with that？？ 。。。more

Anonymous4999 ，

A very memorable play by the same playwright who penned Death of a Salesman， The Crucible serves as a cautionary tale on the grip mass hysteria can have on the masses。 A necessary reminder during these times where cancel culture runs amok。

Pia Costello ，

good critique on mccarthyism ， also pilgrims with Such weird names bro you have no idea

Veronica ，

This classic story is definitely a must read。 It gives some insight into what may have transpired in Salem Massachusetts during the Salem Witch trials。

Jade ，

what i wouldnt do for a time machine to attend an opening night play of the crucible or death of a salesman in the 40s/50s

zara ，

Abigail is dumb asf gn

Annabel Chambers ，

Story line is very well executed with beautiful description of the characters and their problems。 Hard to read at first but easy to follow once emerged in the play。 Interesting take on the Salem witch hunts， and Miller's use of real names of people from Salem makes the play seem even more vibrant and true。 His symbolism in the play is notable with uses of light and dark to make clear comparisons between characters and parts of the play。 Story line is very well executed with beautiful description of the characters and their problems。 Hard to read at first but easy to follow once emerged in the play。 Interesting take on the Salem witch hunts， and Miller's use of real names of people from Salem makes the play seem even more vibrant and true。 His symbolism in the play is notable with uses of light and dark to make clear comparisons between characters and parts of the play。 。。。more

A。 Lleverino ，

Karens take it too far when their slander gets innocent men and women killed。 Witches， fake mental illness， gossip， and death。👌🏽

Simiona Tamaressis ，

The dialogue is beautifully handled and there are very meaningful scenes and passages in this play。 The play has a relevance that will stick with generations to come。 The play deep dives into a society driven and engulfed by hysteria and power seeking individuals and how these factors influence life choices and the decisions they make。 It demonstrated how when you deny half the population power， freedom of speech， influence and equality rather than inferiority how the brickwork or fortress that The dialogue is beautifully handled and there are very meaningful scenes and passages in this play。 The play has a relevance that will stick with generations to come。 The play deep dives into a society driven and engulfed by hysteria and power seeking individuals and how these factors influence life choices and the decisions they make。 It demonstrated how when you deny half the population power， freedom of speech， influence and equality rather than inferiority how the brickwork or fortress that hold a community together begins to crumble。 。。。more

Kim ，

4。0/5。0 - It's hard to believe that I've never read this before， it is such a timeless classic。 Everyone knows the story of the Salem witch trials， Miller's retelling is beautifully done。 There are lessons to be learned， the dangers of mass hysteria， the bravery of honest men and women who will die， rather than confess what they did not do。 Book 198 of 2021 4。0/5。0 - It's hard to believe that I've never read this before， it is such a timeless classic。 Everyone knows the story of the Salem witch trials， Miller's retelling is beautifully done。 There are lessons to be learned， the dangers of mass hysteria， the bravery of honest men and women who will die， rather than confess what they did not do。 Book 198 of 2021 。。。more

Ashley Hobgood ，

I had read this for an English class in high school。 I enjoyed reading this play because it dealt with the Salem Witch Trials。 I loved the story because of the drama。 I thought the play was well written。 It is a must read。

Amy ，

History repeats itself， and here we see it shown so well。 Witch hunts。Communist Hollywood hunts。Today？Left。 vs。 Right。It continues

Harper ，

Yep！ That’s my type of book。 I know a lot about the Salem witch trials but little about the red scare so this was a wonderful way to parallel the two。 The writing was stunning。 I could read read and re read this for the rest of my life。 I think I will。

Beth Tobin Allen ，

Having been born and raised in Salem， Massachusetts， I am embarrassed that I hadn't read this book before。 Having been born and raised in Salem， Massachusetts， I am embarrassed that I hadn't read this book before。 。。。more

alix ，

tbh I was decently excited to read this for school since it’s abt the Salem which trials but there were just way too many characters and things happening for me the keep track of。 I read the penguin classics print book so maybe the format was just weird but it was hard to keep track of everything。 It was okay。

Marwa ，

The writing was a bit hard to understand and keep up with at first but it was a really good book i definitely recommend it for anyone go would want to read nonfiction about the Saleem With trials

Joshuae ，

3。5

Joss ，

Un clásico de la literatura y el teatro。 En cada página， se encuentra un mundo complejo con grandes personajes。 Debe ser increíble verla puesta en escena。Mi obra favorita hasta ahora。

Abby True ，

three and a half stars

Alda Saldan ，

The Crucible， one of the most famous drama by Arthur Miller， was born as a critic to the McCarthyism that dominated USA in the 1950s。 In this work Miller re-interpreted the infamous witch-hunt and trials happened in Salem， Massachusetts， in 1692。 Historians and scientists have proposed multiple theories to try to explain the strange fits and afflictions affecting the girls （e。g。 ergotism）， but Miller here was more interested in portraying the mass hysteria that drove a family feud to dire and un The Crucible， one of the most famous drama by Arthur Miller， was born as a critic to the McCarthyism that dominated USA in the 1950s。 In this work Miller re-interpreted the infamous witch-hunt and trials happened in Salem， Massachusetts， in 1692。 Historians and scientists have proposed multiple theories to try to explain the strange fits and afflictions affecting the girls （e。g。 ergotism）， but Miller here was more interested in portraying the mass hysteria that drove a family feud to dire and unthinkable consequences for many living in that Puritan， theocratic community。 Plays and dramas often lose their appeal when you read them instead of following their the theatrical production， but Miller’s writing is simply great， and now I’d love to see The Crucible in theatre！ Apart from mass hysteria， many other themes are embedded in this story: religion & theocracy， justice and gender/social status imbalance。 Women in the puritan society were trapped in few roles: either “saints” （good， respectful wives or daughters， subordinated to their husband/father AND to God） or sinful witches/whores， who are rejected by society the moment they rebel or deviate from the expected standard。 Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams may well represent these two roles， and even if Abigail’s vengeance and deceit save her from the scaffold （and condemned many innocents） it is really impossible to side for her – she is really GREAT as a villain。 Today we would also be very critical of John Proctor， the proud puritan who cheats on his wife and then complains of her coldness， but his are the best lines， and in the end we all wish to have his same strength and stay true/redeem ourselves no matter the challenge that stands in front of us。 。。。more

meg ，

okay， i read this for school， and I don’t usually rate things I read for school， but this was actually a good book and i am slightly ashamed to say that i liked it a fair bithelps that i was reading a small old copy and i liked the font and smell

Antara ，

"The Crucible" （o "Las brujas de Salem"） nos relata sobre un pueblo donde hay bastantes conflictos。 Un día， el reverendo encuentra a su hija y a otras chicas bailando y cree que es brujería。 Cuando todos comienzan a enterarse de esto， hacen acusaciones falsas hacia aquellas personas con las que se llevan mal。Este libro lo había leído el año pasado para el colegio。 Hay partes que son medio aburridas， pero en general es un libro que me gustó。 "The Crucible" （o "Las brujas de Salem"） nos relata sobre un pueblo donde hay bastantes conflictos。 Un día， el reverendo encuentra a su hija y a otras chicas bailando y cree que es brujería。 Cuando todos comienzan a enterarse de esto， hacen acusaciones falsas hacia aquellas personas con las que se llevan mal。Este libro lo había leído el año pasado para el colegio。 Hay partes que son medio aburridas， pero en general es un libro que me gustó。 。。。more

Lucas ，

My only real complaint is that Arthur Miller's interjections in the first act， aside from when he introduces characters， are basically useless and in a modern context aren't necessary to understand the meaning of the text at all。 They also really disrupt the flow， aside from that it's a pretty fantastic play。 My only real complaint is that Arthur Miller's interjections in the first act， aside from when he introduces characters， are basically useless and in a modern context aren't necessary to understand the meaning of the text at all。 They also really disrupt the flow， aside from that it's a pretty fantastic play。 。。。more

gosia piosicka ，

All I have to say is I love unit 4 EnglishI cannot wait to hear Cathy read it tomorrow。 She can be abby and I will be proctor 😌

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Crucible

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Crucible&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Crucible&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0