The Crucible by Arthur Miller

1. The Crucibleby Arthur Miller Notes

2. Who Were the Puritans? • Religious reformers who were critical of the Church of England • In America, they hoped to establish a “city upon the hill” as a model community guided in all aspects by the bible. • Their government would be a theocracy – a state under the immediate guidance of God.

4. Puritans’ Central Beliefs • Human beings exist for the glory of God. • The Bible is the sole expression of God’s will. • Predestination – God has already decided who will/won’t achieve salvation, but you can’t take your salvation for granted. • You should accomplish good only through continual hard work and self-discipline.

6. Puritan ideals that are still regarded as basic American virtues: • Hard work • Frugality • Self-improvement • Self-reliance

7. Puritan Writing • Wrote to provide spiritual insight and instruction • Believed in a plain style of writing • Clear statement was their highest goal • Ornate or clever writing was seen as a sign of vanity & against God’s will.

8. Typically, Puritans wrote: • Theological studies • Hymns • Histories • Biographies • Autobiographies

9. They wrote for themselves in journals/diaries as a serious kind of self-examination. • They regarded fiction and drama as sinful. • They did write poetry as a vehicle for spiritual enlightenment; however, they were more concerned with the message than the literary form of the poems. • 2 most famous Puritan poets: Anne Bradstreet & Edward Taylor

10. Puritans & Education • Believed in education for both men & women • In 1636, they founded Harvard College to ensure a well-educated ministry. • Set up the first printing press in the colonies • Established free public schools in MA in 1647 • Published The New England Primer c.1690, which combined instruction in spelling and reading with moralistic teachings

12. Cotton Mather • Published at least 400 works • His writing on witchcraft helped stir up hysteria. • He believed the more information a work contained, the better its style. • "They which lie, must go to their father, the devil, into everlasting burning; they which never pray, God will pour out his wrath upon them; and when they bed and pray in hell fire, God will not forgive them, but there [they] must lie forever. Are you willing to go to hell and burn with the devil and his angels?". • Featured in one of Mather’s Children’s books

13. Witch Hunts • In 16th-17th Centuries, between 1-9 million Europeans were accused of being witches and executed. • Many of those accused were merely practicing folk customs • During this time, the populace was very superstitious

14. Often, witch hunts were politically motivated, such as with England’s James I: • He wrote a treatise on witchcraft • Accused his enemies of practicing the black arts

16. In 1692, the British colony of MA was swept by a witchcraft hysteria • 20 people were executed • At least 150 others were jailed

17. Hardships the colonists endured & attributed to the Devil: • Bitter weather • Sickness & death • Devastating fires • Drought • Insect Infestations *They were a fearful (and possibly paranoid) people, and their Puritan faith stressed that witches were real and dangerous.

18. In Salem . . . many were quick to blame witchcraft when: • The minister’s daughter and several other girls were afflicted by seizures and lapses into unconsciousness. • It was learned that the girls had been dabbling into fortunetelling with the minister’s slave, Tituba.

19. What led to the accusations? • Social and economic animosity • Mass hysteria *Although Miller took liberties with some of the historical details, he believed that the reader would discover “the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history” in his play.

20. Arthur Miller1915-2005

21. Early Life • During the Depression, his family lost its money and moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn. • He delayed his enrollment at the University of Michigan for more than 2 years to raise money for tuition. • He raised the tuition money by singing at a local radio station, driving a truck, and working as a stock clerk in an auto parts warehouse.

22. Miller’s writing: • Known for chronicling the dilemmas of common people pitted against powerful and unyielding social forces • Began writing drama while still in college • Prior to The Crucible, he wrote All My Sons and Death of a Salesman.

23. The Crucible • Uses the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 as a means of attacking anti-communist “witch hunts” in Congress in the 1950s • Miller believed the hysteria surrounding the witchcraft trials in Puritan New England paralleled the contemporary climate of McCarthyism – Senator Joseph McCarthy’s obsessive quest to uncover Communist party infiltration of American institutions.

24. Miller’s experiences with McCarthyism: • During the 2 years following the publication of The Crucible, Miller was investigated for possible associations with the Communist party. • In 1956, he was called to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

25. Why? • He advocated principles of social justice and equality among all classes. At the Hearings: • He testified about his own experiences. • He refused to discuss his colleagues and associates. • He was found guilty of contempt of Congress for his refusal, but the sentence was later overturned.

26. Hollywood Glamour • In 1956, Miller married film star Marilyn Monroe. • He wrote the screenplay for The Misfits, in which Monroe starred. • After their divorce, Miller wrote the plays The Price and The Last Yankee.