The Religious Aspects Of Arthur Millers The Crucible Essay

The Religious Aspects Of Arthur Millers The Crucible The Crucible is a play, which draws a parallel between the Salem witch-hunts of 1692 and McCarthyism in the 1950s. Arthur Miller, author of the play, was put in prison in the early 1950s owing to his slight left wing sympathies. In this period of time, the American regime was very strict and paranoid; this was caused by fear of reds under the bed (communists in America). When Miller was released from prison he chose to write a play outlining his views on America, but instead of directly using his own situation, he used a parallel event to put his ideas forward. The chosen event was the Salem witch-hunts of 1692. Miller portrayed the†¦show more content†¦Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, Ruth Putnam and Mercy Lewis were the teenagers who rebelled. The rebellion ensued owing to the constant winding of the spring. The theory that too much law, order and restraint will eventually lead to chaos because people feel the need to break free. The lowest and most despised inhabitant of Salem was Tituba, the black, slave-girl of the Reverend Parris. As the hysteria within the community increased, their social positions are dramatically changed. The chaos started when two of the towns teenage girls, Betty and Ruth were struck down by a mysterious illness. The girls had been participating in a black magic ritual in the Virgin Forest the previous night. Once the townsfolk heard of this, they immediately connected the two events and assumed that the devil and witchcraft had infiltrated the village. Miller linked this to communism spreading through America. As in the Salem witch-hunts, special committees were set up, led by McCarthy. Their aim was to search out Communist sympathisers in the United States. Many suspected Communists were persuaded to confess and name other sympathizers to avoid punishment. As a result there was a mad hysterical rush to falsely accuse fellowShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible By Arthur Miller993 Words   |  4 Pagesauthor is Arthur Miller, playwright for the famous 1950’s play, The Crucible. In Miller’s The Crucible, reputation plays an influential role in the outcome of the play. A major portion of the population is led to plead guilty in order to save their reputation, have their reputation ruined by pleading innocent, or ruin their reputations so as to protect others. Several of these characters are Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, and John Proctor. The first of multiple characters in Arthur Miller’s play, TheRead MoreThe Crucible Film Analysis1735 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1996 film adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible tells us far more about what modern society thinks the puritans are, than what the historic realities were. 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