... ; however, there most definitely were Communists in the United States in the 1950s. While this undeniable fact remains true, the way in which Senator Joe McCarthy aroused paranoia and suspicion of Communists in the public was most definitely similar to Abigail's actions. Another very clear similarity between Miller's The Crucible and his actual life was the panic and hysteria caused by an unwarranted fear. ... Whether this fear is of Communists or witches, the effect was the same; many innocent individuals were brought to trial because of ... arising suspicions from the general public, ...

• Word Count: 981
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the end of the seventeenth century. It is a portrayal of young women who are caught practicing witchcraft and dancing, in a strict Puritan community. Essentially, they were merely being teenage girls, in a confined society where they needed to break loose. They made up a tale of being bewitched by local housewives, in order to clear them of guilt. This point was proven when Abigail ... tells John, "I am but God's finger, John. If he would condemn Elizabeth, she will be condemned." The cycle expands with each person accused: the supposed witch must decide whether to plead guilty to a cri...

• Word Count: 579
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... a time when everyone was going hysterical over nothing, thousands of artists were getting laid off for no good reason, and a national communist scare had the nation at a standstill. In premise, it sure reminds me of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, where a small town in Massachusetts goes stark crazy over what seems to be a huge witch hunt but in this case, it's not ... brought with him; this had thus set the stage for Miller's play The Crucible. Arthur Miller had rewritten the Witch-hunt that had occurred there in 1692 into a fictional literary piece. The play The Crucible used the histori...

• Word Count: 597
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate