Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. The Crucible is, on the surface, a retelling of the Salem witch trials. The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials, was written by Arthur Miller in 1952 . 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. An allegory is an artistic work or piece of writing that tells one story on the surface but represents a different set of events and teaches a moral or political lesson about those events. The Salem Witch Trials was a witch hunt in Salem, they hung anybody who they thought were witches. One example of Abigail's villainy is the scene where her cousin, Betty Parris yells about Abigail having drank blood in the forest. Abbyll charge lechery on you, Mr. Proctor! (Mary Warren, Act 2, pg. Many people were executed by decision of the court because it believed in absurd false allegations. 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. Latest answer posted December 16, 2019 at 7:31:02 AM. Through all this ignorance and delusional fear, Arthur Miller was inspired to explore the similarities and parallels of the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. WebThe Crucible by Arthur Miller is allegorical. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, John Proctor dealt with the corruption of power in his town when Abigail Williams and many other girls accused those, who were innocent, of witchcraft. Parts of this act have been repealed over the years, and most of it is no longer applicable as of the 1990s. I dare not step outside at night! This quote shows that Parris is not concerned with the hanging of the accused individuals who are not as respected, nor is he concerned with his supposed mission to banish all evil from Salem. It is clear that Arthur Miller was influenced by Mccarthyism while writing The Crucible because both include accusations of wrongdoing against innocent people, The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism because many girls in Salem were accused of being witches and the only evidence presented was the testimony of others. Various forms of propaganda advertised fears, causing panic to spread throughout the country. WebThe Crucible by Arthur Miller is allegorical. Convict communists were ordered to confess their crime and name others to avoid the retribution. Miller depicts this in the play as In 1692 nineteen men and women and two dogs were convicted and hanged for witchcraft (Introduction, pg vii) The quote symbolizes how the accused of both events suffered extreme consequences because of mere accusations that were taken too far. For any subject. Miller published this play in 1953, after feeling the effects of McCarthyism during the 1950s and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Slideshow 3196964 by amber There was deceit, pain, greed, and more. Arthur Millers novel, the Crucible is a fictional play that centers around the Salem Witch Trials. Find more samples: Related topics The period in which this anti-communist hysteria occurred was known as the Red Scare. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. Arthur Millers novel, the Crucible is a fictional play that centers around the Salem Witch Trials. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction. Arthur Miller, disgusted and inspired by these events, wrote The Crucible as an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare. Amelia Emery has taught high school English Language Arts for 9 years and University level writing courses for 3 years. At the beginning of the play, experts of witchcraft and holiness are brought into question the cause of the girls in the state of comas. WebIt's no secret that The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism and communist "witch hunts" of the early 1950s. Examine The Crucible as an allegory. For a time, he and his House Committee on Un-American Activitieswielded the power to lift up or destroy names, reputations and careers by slinging innuendo and half-truths in the name of national security, a threat McCarthy felt came from the U.S. Communist party (a recognized political group) and its members, et al. The crucible was a tragedy because almost the whole town was accused of being a witch or having dolls in their homes which made then think they were doing something with the dolls to harm someone else. Similarly, americans were being blacklisted by McCarthy because they believed these people may have. He uses the scenes and characters to represent the real-life occurrences. He highlights how these particular themes are problematic for human nature. Many helped that system by untrue confessions to save their lives. What Miller is trying to say in The Crucible is that he is against condemning others with no legitimate reason. Arthur Millers purpose of writing The Crucible was due to the close resemblance between the Salem Witch-trails and McCarthyism. Like the mania of the Witch Trials, the frenzy to uncover alleged Communists forced those involved to choose between following their moral conscience and saving their own skin. US Senator Joseph McCarthy entered the spotlight by accusing members of the State Department to be communists. I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! He is just concerned about his well being. The Crucible reveals the similarities between The Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s and McCarthyism of the 1950s because it demonstrates how a society can be tremendously impacted by the feeling the fear. During the 1950s, non evidential claims would be taken seriously. The state believed McCarthy and the people got treated badly because they were wrongly accused of. On the surface, The Crucible is an allegory ,or extended metaphor, using the story of the Salem witch trials to critique Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare. Kerry has been a teacher and an administrator for more than twenty years. 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. The Crucible Study Guide 2022-10-26. An allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters or objects in the story represent an outside meaning. The way Miller shares his views and thoughts on the play could help influence and impact the audience or the readers view on the Salem Witch Trials and on the play. One way in [] Find Free Essays Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as his own reaction to the injustice of McCarthyism. Some reputations were never repaired. When people are placed under an intense feeling of fear, they begin to commit actions they never thought they were capable over. a container that can withstand high heat in order to purify metals. In The Crucible, what message is Arthur Miller trying to get across to the reader. The events that took place during the time the play was written were very similar to the Salem witch hunts. Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+! In the play, The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Miller uses allegory to recreate the events occurring in real life. In an allegory the character,events, and instances(Definition of Allegory R104). succeed. Evidence suggests that Miller contributed articles to American Communist Party publications and some of his political beliefs were evident in his plays. Prior to the early action in the play the only besmirching of Abigails name are the rumours of her secret relationship with John Proctor and this sparks conflict between her and Goody Proctor. This expresses how much a good reputation is for this time as one mistake that may not even be true can soil (Reverend Parris Act1 P.20). When people are placed under an intense feeling of fear, they begin to commit actions they never thought they were capable over. Arthur Miller is a commonly-known playwright, most famous for his 1953 play, The Crucible. When he wrote The Crucible, it served as an allegory, simultaneously retelling the story of the Salem witch trials and also presenting social commentary on McCarthyism and the Red Scare. In The Crucible, people were, Purification Power is defined as The ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as as a faculty or quality. Throughout history, women have significantly lacked not only power but the ability to be recognized as equal to their male counterparts. Arthur Miller wrote this play to symbolize 1950s McCarthyism. Arthur Miller was soon later accused by the McCarthy led HUAC. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. why is the crucible an appropriate title for the play. Don't know where to start? In 1949, China became a communist country led by Mao Zedong, and the U.S. became involved in the Korean War in 1950. The fear he spread among the people from the United States at that time is comparable to the fear for witches that the inhabitants of Salem spread in their own villages. He mainly criticizes the government. Both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. had developed nuclear weapons that could devastate each other, not to mention the world as a whole. In addition, reputation is another aspect that troubles human nature. To conclude, in the 1940s to the 1950s, the Red Scare prompted US Senator Joseph McCarthy to accuse people to be communists. Hi! This began the McCarthy Era, where government workers, artists/actors, and innocent people were accused. I feel like its a lifeline. 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. The two time periods were more than two and a half centuries apart, yet they had many factors that overlapped. In his play The Crucible, he uses allegory to demonstrate the dangerous messages that he wanted to implement into the reader. Much of the undoing of McCarthyism came at the hands of the Supreme Court. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. McCarthyism & The Crucible by Arthur Miller | History, Impact & Analysis, Symbols in The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Examples & Analysis, The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Literary Themes & Analysis, Mrs. Dalloway: Analysis of Characters and Style, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: Character & Epiphany, The Crucible by Arthur Miller | Summary, Quotes & Themes. The Review Of The Crucible Essay George Orwell's 1984 as a Historical Allegory Essay that is consistently dominant, is the theme of manipulation, and how even the most overt and simplistic forms of manipulation manages to keep the citizens of Oceania so loyal so successfully. McCarthy, Arthur Miller felt it necessary to express his political feelings through an authors medium. Abigail and a number of the other girls in town are seen common dancing as the girls claim, when they were actually casting spells and love potions. Events like the people who were hanged, and people were accused of being witches were similar to blacklisted, The Crucible Analysis Paper The play was similar to real life events that occurred when McCarthy and the HUAC accused Americans as communists. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. This all happened during the Salem Witch So for a brief explanation, McCarthyism was carried out under senator Joseph McCarthy during 1950-1954 against alleged communist in the US government and in other institutions. Perhaps Miller was particularly sensitive to this modern-day "witch hunt" because he had some fleeting associations with the American Communist Party. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. Miller was tried and accused of being a communist sympathizer. Review the genre, learn about theRed Scare, and analyze Arthur Miller's play as a political allegory for McCarthyism. The kids that were hanged didnt really understand why the were being hung because they do anything wrong. When Abby tries to tell her to never say that, Betty replies by saying, "You did, you did! The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism, a period of time where officials were being accused of being a part of the communist party. McCarthyism is a term describing a period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States around the 1950s. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil! (Abigail, Act 1, pg. In 1692, a fear of witchcraft led to the accusation of over 200 townspeople. McCarthy was a Senator who made a list of people he claimed to be known communists working for the State Department. The Crucible is a very significant piece of literature from which many things can be learned. 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. The Crucible reveals the similarities between The Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s and McCarthyism of the 1950s because it demonstrates how a society can be tremendously impacted by the feeling the fear. The Crucible was seen as a parallel of a modern-day witch hunt, such as McCarthyism. We witness the lives of people she impacts, what happens to them, and how many times she lies to get her way. This is similar to a time in the 1950s when Joseph McCarthy accuses government officials of communism and that ultimately leads to hundreds of citizens losing their jobs. WebThe Crucible is an allegory. Of course they are not just limited to stories; allegories can also be expressed in the form of a poem, a picture, or a movie. An allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters or objects in the story represent an outside meaning. 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. Events like the people who were hung, and people were accused for being witches were similar to blacklisted and they, The 1950s was an eventful time in America with the Red Scare and Senator Joseph McCarthy. Miller felt the best way to express himself is to write The Crucible. In 1950 Joseph McCarthy had delivered a speech Before the Iowa County women's Republican Club and Wheeling, Virginia waived a piece of paper claiming it was a list of 205 communist working in the state department that list was never found, also the number of names was constantly changing this proves that most of the evidence in both these trials had a little to no, Archetypal Criticism In In The Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez, What Are The Pros And Cons Of Electric Cars. The belief of the integration of Communist spies into the country made the government question the loyalty of Americans. I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! Although both situations include different causes, their effects are strikingly similar. In salem 1692 multiple girls were out in the woods dancing and were thought to be possessed and working with the devil. All rights reserved. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many rhetorical elements illuminate the meaning behind the text. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. This is parallel to the Red Scare because people went to great lengths to prove their innocence of McCarthyism. In the early 1950s, Americans became fearful that their friends, neighbors, or co-workers might be communists attempting to undermine American democracy and spread communism throughout the world. The Red Scare caused people to suspect their neighbors and friends and report them as communist sympathizers. Set in the 17th century The Crucible told the story of a town that ensued a hunt for witches, caused by the accusations of Salem 's young girls and their ring leader Abigail Williams. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. 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. [Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism]. People who were accused of being communist or communist sympathizers were told that they had to name other people who supported the communist movement. The plot of the play focuses on a man, John Proctor, and his struggle to prove his familys and his own innocence. Russias gain of power throughout Eurasia showed off the USSRs strength and abilities, threatening the Western Powers. The Crucible mirrors McCarthyism because even though tis hard to prove (Miller, 75) the court believed unsustainable girls and believed they saw the Devil in people. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. The new decision led to a cyclone of accusations because people realized the possibility of their condemnation regardless they were guilty or innocent. In the play The Crucible, Miller has used allegory to convey the themes of injustice, hysteria, and honor/reputation. What was Arthur Miller's purpose in writing The Crucible? Miller, among others, refused to surrender to questioning. Much like the Crucible, McCarthyism was driven by irrational thinking and emotions.The emotions of people can be blinding and problematic. The varying intensity of this emotion can cause people to act or react in ways that may be unusual. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. It also gave many an excuse to act on personal grudges bore with one another., In literature alone, there are many stories that have been categorized as allegories due to messages or lessons that are implied in the writing. Parris' ten year old daughter. The children were often accused if you were related to the person being accused then you were tried as a witch. This quote shows how when Proctor was asked to confess and name others to save his life, he confessed himself but refused to accuse others so he could live, his wife understood his noble sacrifice and fulfilled his wish to be an honorable man. This quote shows that the accusations made by Joseph McCarthy lacked evidence and were entirely false. Similarly, throughout 1950-1954, Joseph McCarthy falsely accused people within the United States Government of being a member of the Communist party. The government of the time served as McCarthy 's puppet, doing whatever he told them and arresting anyone he told them to. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. 73) This quote elaborates on why the accusers were not suspected, Reverend Parris has a reputation of being a holy man of the church which makes him improbable to witchcraft and Abigail who has kept her reputation clean amidst of all the misdeeds she has done. This pitted South Korea against the communist forces in North Korea. This was a time during which the fear for the growth in power of the Soviet Union was spreading in America. 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. Although the actions taken against suspected communists were not as strict as those during the Salem witch trials, they were still vicious and shattered many reputations of well-liked men and women. McCarthyism, as Miller himself said, is the backdrop for the play, but is not its theme. 68 lessons The general outline of the play corresponds to the events of the Witch Trails of Salem in 1692., It was a time of military and political tension between the United States capitalists and the Soviet communists. It compares his life to a book: http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/philadelphia/grave.htm], Arthur Miller's inspiration for this play came in the guise of the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is based on the true events of the Salem witch trials. WebAn allegory is an extended metaphor in which the characters or objects in the story represent an outside meaning. In act 3 of The Crucible, why does Reverend Hale change his story about witchcraft? Through the play, we follow the character, Abigail, observe her actions and their consequences. She has a Master of Education degree. I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I am afraid that the eNotes editors are only allowed to answer one question. The practices were paralleled in what is known as McCarthyism, which did much the same thing, except this time, children did not control the madness: Senator McCarthy and his "minions" carried on a twentieth century witch hunt. 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. Miller saw with great clarity the similarity between the accusations of witchcraft in 1692 and the accusations of communism in the 1950s. In The Crucible the trials all started with one girl, Abigail Williams and her love for the married man John Proctor. How may I live without my name? 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. 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. An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning- literal and symbolic. In conclusion, not only is The Crucible a metaphor to the McCarthy trials, but it also an allegory. In the 1953, Arthur Miller came out with a play: The Crucible based on the Salem Witch Trials tackling McCarthyism; accusing others of being communists trying to overthrow democracy in the United States (9-10). 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. First, an allegory is a narrative that works as an long metaphor. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory for McCarthyism in the late 1950s when he was falsely accused of being a communist.
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what is the crucible an allegory for