Analyzing Contemporary American Theatre & The Crucible

1. Analyzing Contemporary American Theatre &The Crucible Allegory and Persuasion

2. Plot Analysis • Exposition: important background information such as setting (time and place); characters and relationships between characters; and any other relevant factors that the audience needs to know to understand the beginning of the play • Inciting Incident: this is the one event that sets the main conflict of the play in motion; can occur before the play begins. • Rising Action: a SERIES of events that complicate the plot and add to the conflict • Turning Point: a single event or choice made by a character that could potentially change the course of events in the play • Climax: the single event of the play that has the most emotional intensity • Falling Action: the events that immediately follow the climax of the play • Denouement (Resolution): events that resolve the main conflict of the play

3. The Crucible as Allegory • Allegory: • a story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. • a story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation • Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953 • His response to The Red Scare • Red Scare: the fear of communism influencing society (through film and tv) and infiltrating the federal government • Miller makes a comparison between the witch hunt in Salem (in 1692) and the search for communists in Washington and Hollywood in the 1950’s

4. Historical Background in Salem • Salem 1692: Massachusetts Bay Colony • Factors that contributed to the hysteria—these are the fears in fear+trigger=witch hunt • Royal Charter Revoked—fear of losing land to new settlers and fear of another war with France • Theocratic form of government • Massachusetts Body of Liberties—no law can be created that is in conflict with anything in the Bible • Strong Puritan belief in the Devil/punishing God • Small Pox Epidemic of 1691—believed God was punishing settlement for secret sins • Increased Indian Raids—savages/devils lived in the forest • Suspicion and Resentment of neighbors • Fear of Outsiders

5. Arthur Miller (1915-2005) • Began playwriting career in college • 1st success: All My Sons (1947) • 1st great American Tragedy: Death of a Salesman (1949) • Wrote The Crucible as a response to Red Scare of 1940s and 50s • Specifically targeted ppl who were in the arts and show business

6. Red Scare • House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC) • Formed in 1938, gained steam after WWII • Focused on left wing Americans who might be communist sympathizers • 1947: began to focus on Hollywood—directly affected Arthur Miller

7. Factors that Contributed to Red Scare • Alger Hiss Trial/Rosenbergs Trial • Truman Doctrine • Truman Loyalty Program • There was a climate of fear in America after WWII as a result of the rise of communism in Eastern Europe. As the Soviet Block extended its influence, Americans became wary of a communist takeover. Miller saw the similarities in the climate of Salem prior to the witch trials and the climate in America prior to the Red Scare.

8. Red Scare • Joseph McCarthy: senator from Wisconsin • 1950: Claimed to have names of 205 communists working in the State Department • Targets democrats associated with New Deal Policies • Targets Hollywood—writers and actors—believed to be producing films with subversive communist messages • McCarthyism: anti-communist hysteria or the policy of Gov’t rooting out communism

9. Joseph McCarthy (con’t) • People called before HUAC were encouraged to confess and name others involved • Result of not confess or naming names • Blacklisted—could not find work in their previous line of business • Many left US, others committed suicide • Arthur Miller: refused to name names… • As a result, he was fined for contempt of court

10. Methods of Persuasion • Logos: a writer or speaker’s attempt to persuade the audience by using reason and logic • Pathos: a writer or speaker’s attempt to persuade the audience by using emotion, usually fear or sadness • Ethos: a writer or speaker’s attempt to persuade the audience by proving his/her own credibility and reliability

11. Methods of Persuasion • McCarthy relies primarily on Ethos and Pathos • When he claims to have the names of 205 communists in the State Dept., it is an attempt at Logos, but because it was untrue, he really doesn’t use logos • In The Crucible, Miller uses all three • Logos: Offers the readers logical reasons as to why the people of Salem turned on one another • Grudges, land disputes, etc • Pathos: We are meant to sympathize with Proctor and understand why he nearly confesses, but also why he tears up the confession • Ethos: Through the research and notes in the stage directions in Act I, Miller establishes his credibility as a researcher of the period.