... The title of the play being The Crucible, the term "crucible" is never actually mentioned. The word crucible, in simplest terms, means "a trial." Although the play is based around a series of court-trials, Miller chose it as the title to mean a severe test, as of patience or belief; a trial within oneself. Many of the characters in The Crucible face difficult decisions, or crucibles, piecing together the story. The first crucible ... to take place is concerning John Proctor, the protagonist of the play. John has brought Mary Warren, his servant, to the court to admit that all the accusat...

• Word Count: 1041
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... this probing question: What secret motivations or reasons lie behind the accusations of the innocent? In the Salem Witch Trials, the accusations were clearly caused by the girls" own fears, and the fears of the community also led to the use of scapegoats for the evils of Salem. Arthur Miller, who wrote The Crucible, a play depicting the tragic events that occurred in Salem, was "profoundly, angrily ... of Ann Putnam's pointing finger. The extreme fear of witchcraft held in the hearts of the community of Salem is revealed in The Crucible when Reverend Hale pleads, "The Devil is alive in ...

• Word Count: 1838
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... The title of the play being The Crucible, the term "crucible" is never actually mentioned. The word crucible, in simplest terms, means "a trial." Although the play is based around a series of court-trials, Miller chose it as the title to mean a severe test, as of patience or belief; a trial within oneself. Many of the characters in The Crucible face difficult decisions, or crucibles, piecing together the story. The first crucible ... to take place is concerning John Proctor, the protagonist of the play. John has brought Mary Warren, his servant, to the court to admit that all the accusat...

• Word Count: 986
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• Grade Level: High School

... which a person has to make a decision that can be critical to his morals and principles. There are many interpretations of the word crucible as there is for the theme of Arthur Miller's, The Crucible. Closely related to the word "crucifixion", The Crucible is about a man put in a crucible situation, who is forced to choose between life and morality, just as Jesus Christ did. Miller interweaved these scenarios to form ... theme, good versus evil. Based on the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century, The Crucible explores the vulnerability of a society and the difficulty of doing "goo...

• Word Count: 1259
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• Grade Level: High School

... . "The Crucible" is quite clearly a response to the political paranoia of the "Red Scare". Miller used his character introductions to include political commentary. It cannot be helped, but to continue the comparison between the Salem witch trials, and the anticommunist committee's work, throughout the scenes of "The Crucible". Furthermore when watching the film The Crucible it becomes clear that the acts of the play are accurate in portraying the witch-hunts and the "Red Scare". In the film ... there are many scenes which are not in the book that give you insight, and foreshadow events t...

• Word Count: 579
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• Grade Level: High School

The Crucible Arthur Miller's 1950 play The Crucible uses literary elements to mirror the Mc Carthy Ear. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a "witch hunt" play that takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Likewise, similarly during the 1950's the United States government was experiencing accusations of communist government officials. This was later given the name McCarthyism. In Salem, the town was overcome with accusations ... witchcraft. John refuses to confess of practicing witchcraft is put to death. Miller's 1950 play The Crucible expresses a variety of themes. Reputations plays a big i...

• Word Count: 366
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... Abigail is a vindictive character. She will do anything that she can do to try to get John Proctor back. At the beginning of Act 1 in The Crucible Abigail is quick to call people in Salem, witches. Foe example, in Act 1 when she says, "She sends her spirit on me in church, she makes me laugh at prayer." ... a deadly sin, Mary." Abigail is trying to convince people she sees a bird on Marry Warren because they believe a bird is the sign of the devil. In The Crucible Abigail is accusing everyone of being a witch when she is the biggest witch of them all. Through out the play Abigail covet...

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• Grade Level: High School

... one thing but really means the opposite. In situational irony, what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected. In dramatic irony, the audience or the reader is aware of something important that a character does not know. Arthur Miller uses an abundance of irony in his play, The Crucible. Irony in The Crucible is shown at almost every aspect of the play. The fact that the Puritans are supposed to ... be good, strong and spreading the good ways of God is ironic in itself. In ... the play it shows the Puritans accusing, blaming and holding grudges against each other. The Purita...

• Word Count: 582
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• Grade Level: High School

... century when Puritanism was very strong. People believed in God and followed strict religious. During Act 1 of The Crucible a group of young girls where dancing in the woods around a fire. The girls thought that Reverend Parris was thinking that they were practising witchcraft. Witchcraft in the 17th century was a very serious crime and people were hung if they were accused of being a witch. To avoid ... of record that Mr Parris keeps, I note that you are rarely in church on Sabbath day." This shows that Mr Parris believes in the strict religious rules and that everybody should be in ch...

• Word Count: 1105
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• Grade Level: High School

... you had to make a decision, but you didn't want to choose either choice? During the play, The Crucible, many big decisions were made. Some were good decisions and some were bad, but they were all very difficult to make. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in which many people are accused of witchcraft and ... have to make big decisions that may affect their life. Rebecca Nurse was a character in The Crucible with a big decision to make. Rebecca had eleven children and twenty-six grandchildren. She has been around so many children that she decides to help ... It all ended up t...

• Word Count: 1022
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• Grade Level: High School

The drama, The Crucible, is based on a historical event, the Salem witchcraft trial, which took place in Massachusetts during seventeenth century. The entire play centers around Elizabeth, Proctor's wife, and John Proctor, who commits adultery with Abigail, a young, prominently independent girl. Because of desire and love toward John against Elizabeth, Abigail accuses her of witchcraft in order to get rid of her from the presence of John ... to save my soul, did you not? Here! I have confessed myself; it is enough!" (Crucible, Act 4, 132) He realizes that he should be confessing to God, not t...

• Word Count: 893
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... The movie version of The Crucible produced in 1996 is also written by Miller. Certain scenes that were only discussed in the play are acted out in the movie. These scenes remove much of the viewer's imagination and the integrity of the play. The film follows the theatrical version closely, with the major difference being the script of the movie is much shorter than the text of the original work. The ... between people but also among classes. The division between the rich and poor is clearly shown in the movie and provides an interesting side story to the central theme. The movie version...

• Word Count: 2560
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• Grade Level: High School

... generally regret. It could be from pushing your little sister to stealing a sucker from a candy store. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor has great remorse about a feat he committed in the past. He learns that former actions come back and effect him later in ways he would never imagine. Jealousy ... produced by regretful actions. John Proctor's past actions with Abigail Williams causes jealousy. John had an affair with his maid Abbie. It was due to the coldness he was recieving from his wife, Elizabeth. She soon became aware of their behavior and fired Abbie with great hate...

• Word Count: 500
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• Grade Level: High School

... definitions: 1) a container made of a substance that can resist great heat and 2) a severe test or trial. In The Crucible, John Proctor is representative of both of these definitions because of the situations that he must overcome and the people that he has to deal with. Abigail Williams, the ringleader of the "possessed" children, is the source of Proctor's problems, and it is his challenge to attempt to win ... a stronger man by telling her that he will ruin her. However strong a man John proves to be, he is not indestructible, just like a crucible. One can definitely see the signs of...

• Word Count: 910
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• Grade Level: High School

... have different flaws in their personalities that impede their behavior and their decisions they have to make within the story. Elizabeth Proctor, the wife of John Proctor, is one of these characters, and one of the best examples in The Crucible of a character who has to deal with a moral weakness in order to succeed. Elizabeth, pregnant with her fourth child, is overcome with jealousy when ... she learns that her husband is having an affair with their servant (who Elizabeth later fired), Abagail. John tries to hide this from his wife but the secret is soon discovered ... of Abagail, bu...

• Word Count: 748
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... of metal used to heat things to high temperatures or a severe searching test or trial. This definition applies to the play in that the society is a theocratic society. The witch trials eliminated undesirable persons from the society just as a crucible eliminates unwanted metals from the mixture. In the Crucible there are many characters that undergo changes and some that do not. Some characters that undergo changes are Reverend ... Hale and John Proctor and some characters that do not change are Danforth. One of the first characters that went through a change in the story was Reverend H...

• Word Count: 815
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... pride above everything else. I believe human weakness had to do with the Salem witch trials. Another reason for the trials was the general uneducated population during the time. The book, The Crucible, by Aurther Miller gives us many examples of weakness and education that took place in the false accusations of the Salem witch trials. The people of Salem were unfortunately uneducated in many aspects. This is a ... direct result of many of the irrational accusation make during the Salem witch trials. For ... fee of witchcraft. Because of his pride he ends up dying for his name. John Pro...

• Word Count: 790
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• Grade Level: High School

... with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it."" Several characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible experience situations that require them to demonstrate this capability, thereby forcing them to make decisions that could drastically change their lives and the lives of others. To begin, Giles Corey, an elderly yet feisty farmer in Salem, provides a model of ... occurs, Elizabeth begins to realize that she is not the perfect wife. "I never knew how I should say my love. It were a cold house I kept!-(412). Elizabeth, like any normal wife, does...

• Word Count: 1548
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... a sure sign of witch craft. Today over half the people in the world would be put into jail because they threatened another person or if they cursed another person. Another reason that I would have to say that the situation has changed greatly, is the rite we have to practice any religion. Unlike during the time of the Crucible where the religion was strictly Puritan, today there are many ... religions and they don't go hand in hand with the government. No I do not think that this book has a message to it. My ... reason for this is I think this book is more of a history lesson. I also t...

• Word Count: 487
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• Grade Level: High School

... a powerful emotion; It comes out in the strangest of times with almost no control over it. In The Crucible by Arthor Miller, the characters display great actions. Reverend Hale walks out on the court and both Giles Corey and John Proctor die for their own causes to stand up for their honor. When Reverend ... Hale comes to Salem he is sure that he is doing good and saving the people from the devil. ... witchcraft in Salam, he thinks it might have something to do with his wife. Giles can't pray when his wife is in the house reading her books. Before Giles has realized what he has done by...

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• Grade Level: High School

... and lies of people in the town of Salem. The drama happens during the pre-American era. That alone shows that the court systems and the federal government did not exist, but rather each town has their own court; based off of their own ruling. In Arthur Miller's drama, The Crucible, the tragic hero, John Proctor, suffers at the hand of the Puritan theocracy because of the lies and selfish behaviors ... in Salem; however he redeems himself at the end of the drama. Selfish Behaviors of some characters (Parris, Abigail, and Danforth), cause more harm to John and others ... ...

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• Grade Level: High School

... mind can have a big role on people. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, John Proctor's dealing with the devil eventually leads him to confessing much like Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth. The power of the human mind led these two to eventually confess into the sins that they both had done so easily before. In The Crucible, John Proctor is a man that does not go to church regularly. He ... cheated on his wife with his live in maid and denies it to his wife constantly. The town of Salem is under some ... hard times. Some witch has condemned some of the town's girls and the local rever...

• Word Count: 756
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• Grade Level: High School

Throughout history, many people have been capable of redeeming themselves after committing an act that flaws one's character. In most cases, this involves someone stepping outside the status quo, going against religion, or hurting a loved one. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor commits adultery with Abigail Williams, and is ashamed of his sin. Abigail, still convinced that John loves her, relentlessly tries ... to persuade John to come back to her, but John is able to elude her plans. Unlike his sinful past, John Proctor has proven himself to be a moral man through the way he de...

• Word Count: 430
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... The Crucible by Arther Miller is a play, first viewed in 1954, about the Salemn Witch Trials. The play takes place in Salemn Massachusetts, which was then a strict Puritan town. This play is not only about the ruined lives and deaths of hundreds of people, but even more so about the selfish greed, apathy, and revenge of people in this small town. These are the main characters of the ... on me". Marry is afraid that her friends will accuse her of being a witch like they have easily done to so many others. This is the braking point for Marry, an opportunity to decide for good or evil. She w...

• Word Count: 1310
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• Grade Level: High School

The definition for the crucible stands for hard trial. That was exactly what was going to take place in Salem. Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor is known for never lying. The Reverend's name was Rev. Hale. He had come down from Beverley. John Proctor is accused of witchcraft. But instead, confesses to having an affair with his housekeeper, Abigail Williams. Elizabeth is the type of ... person lives her life in complete honesty. She is condemned her husband, John when she had lied about the affair after he had confessed to it. She just couldn't believe that he had just done that. Her in...

• Word Count: 274
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School