Hello and welcome to the Discourse. During the 1950s American people suffered the issue of McCarthyism which is defined as the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism, and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner. In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote a drama titled The Crucible which was based on Salem Witch Trials that happened in Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692-93. The Crucible was partially fictionalized as Arthur Miller presented it as an allegory for McCarthyism and compared the two ills as equally devastating.
The initial British settlers in America were Puritans who were strictly religious and superstitious. They considered material and physical wants, especially sexual desires, as the Devil's work and a threat to society. The Puritans had no tolerance for inappropriate or unacceptable behavior and punished individuals publicly and severely if they transgressed. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging (14 women and five men). One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death after refusing to enter a plea, and at least five people died in jail. Miller dramatized that unfortunate incident and presented it to explain the atrocious effects of McCarthyism.
Characters of The Crucible:
John Proctor is an honest hardworking farmer of Salem who is married to Elizabeth Proctor. Elizabeth is a voice of reason and adheres to justice and moral principles. She is a character of unimpeachable honesty but she is too strict and cold and this causes issues in her married life with John. Abigail Williams is a seventeen-year-old niece of Reverend Samuel Parris who used to work as a housemaid at Proctor’s home. She seduces John and when Elizabeth comes to know about their affair, she fires Abigail. Abigail is a liar, malicious, vengeful girl who charges Elizabeth of witchcraft to take her place as John’s wife. Reverend Parris is a selfish weak, paranoid, greedy, and suspicious demagogue. Betty Parris is a teenage girl of Reverend Parris who mysteriously falls ill. Parris confers that it is a mysterious illness to hide the fact that his daughter and niece were actually performing witchcraft in the woods at late night. He calls Reverend John Hale from Beverly to investigate the supernatural cause of his daughter’s illness. Rebecca Nurse is an honest, noble, and reputed citizen of Salem who is charged with witchcraft because she was the midwife of Mrs. Putnam who gave birth to seven stillborn babies. Francis Nurse is her husband. Thomas Putnam is the wealthiest landowner of Salem. He is a greedy landlord who pushes his own daughter to charge witchcraft against some people to grab their land. Deputy Governor Danforth is in charge of the Salem witchcraft trials. He is a practical man who thinks less of justice and more of the reputation of his court. Giles Corey is an irascible old man of Salem. Tituba is Reverend Parris’ slave girl from Barbados. Marry Warren is another girl who accompanies Abigail in woods. Ruth Putnam is Putnam’s daughter who accompanied Betty and got ill.
Summary of The Crucible
The Crucible is a four-act play. The play begins in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 as Reverend Parris examines his daughter Betty Parris who is unconscious as she is ill. Last night, Reverend Parris caught her dancing with Abigail, his niece, Tituba, his slave girl, and some other girls in the woods. At the same time, Mr. Putnam and his wife visit him and inform him that their daughter Ruth is also ill. They worry about this mysterious illness by some unnatural cause. Ruth was with Abigail as Mrs. Putnam sent her to talk to Tituba who knows how to talk to the dead. Mrs. Putnam wished to know who killed her seven children who were born dead. As they leave, Reverend Parris tells Abigail that he cannot admit that his daughter and niece were found pursuing witchcraft like heathens in the woods. Abigail says that she will take the charge of dancing and accept punishment but won’t admit to witchcraft. Reverend Parris agrees.
Abigail meets with other girls and threatens them to not to disclose that they were casting spells in the woods. She threatens girls with violence if they reveal that she drank blood and cast a spell to kill Elizabeth Proctor. One of the girls is Marry Waren who is a servant at Proctor’s home. John Proctor comes to find her and sends her home. Abigail talks to him privately and proposes to him but John sternly refuses her. It is revealed that Abigail used to be the housemaid before Marry and she seduced John. When Elizabeth found it, she fired Abigail. John accepted his fault and felt guilty. Abigail becomes angry with Proctor because he refuses to acknowledge any feelings for her.
As Betty wakes up, she hears people singing psalms from outside. As she is feeling guilty about last night’s activities, she cries and shrieks. Rebecca Nurse visits her and calms her down. Rebecca is a sane intelligent person. As she hears Reverend Parris of talking about some unnatural cause for Betty’s illness, she warns him that blaming witchcraft for her illness will cause havoc to society. Reverend Parris decides to call Reverend Hale from Beverly. Mr. Putnam asks Rebecca to visit Ruth who is also ill. Mrs. Putnam is jealous of Rebecca as all her children are healthy while Mrs. Putnam’s seven children died during birth. Putnam, Proctor, and Giles Corey argue over their salaries with Parris. Parris says that he fears some people are trying to drive him out of the town. He denies any mismanagement in their salaries. Proctor and Putnam then start arguing over property rights over a piece of land.
Reverend Hale arrives and investigates Betty. He comes to know that Betty along with Abigail, Tituba, Ruth, and some other girls were dancing in the woods at late night and Tituba conjured spirits. He questions Tituba who admits to seeing the Devil. Abigail also admits to witchcraft but says that she now repents her fault. As Betty wakes up, she tells the names of all the other girls who were with them. Reverend Hale handles the situation with calmness as he doesn’t believe that Betty or Ruth’s cause of illness is supernatural. Meanwhile, when Giles Corey meets Reverend Hale, he asks about the supernatural cause of the girls’ illness. Hale says that he is still investigating. Giles jokingly says that isn’t it because his wife reads some strange books? Reverend Hale asks if his wife has sold her soul to the Devil, to which Giles laughs away.
Eight days later, Marry Warren returns to the Proctor’s home as she was serving in the court. She gives a puppet to Elizabeth that she sewed for her as a gift. She tells John that some girls were accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft but she protected her and the court dismissed the charge.
Reverend Hale visits Proctor’s house and asks him about his poor attendance in the Church. Proctor says that Reverend Parris hardly talks about God. Hale asks him about the Ten Commandments. Proctor spells nine commandments successfully but he fails to speak the commandment forbidding adultery as he feels guilty of his own act with Abigail. At the same time, Marshal Herrick arrives to search Proctor’s house. He informs that Abigail is feeling a needle stab whenever she tries to eat something and she has accused Elizabeth of trying to kill her through witchcraft. As he searches the house, he finds the puppet that Marry gave to Elizabeth. A needle is found stored in that puppet. Herrick arrests Elizabeth and takes her away. Hale questions Marry Warren and she says that Abigail saw her sewing the puppet and storing the needle in it and she framed lies on that.
In the court, Ruth claims witchcraft charges on Rebecca Nurse, and Giles Corey’s wife Martha is also accused of the same. The court convicts Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse as Putnam pressurize Deputy Governor Danforth. Giles Corey tries to defend his wife and tells the court he has proof that Putnam is accusing his neighbors of witchcraft in order to gain their land. Judge Danforth asks Giles the name of the witnesses from whom he got that information. Giles fears that like him and his wife, those people will also be convicted of false charges and thus he refuses to name them. Judge Danforth accuses him of contempt of Court and punishes him to be pressed with a heavy stone till his death.
Danforth informs John Proctor that Elizabeth is pregnant. John seeks Marry’s help to rescue his pregnant wife. Marry Waren visits the court and says that she lied and pretended to see the spirits and falsely accused others of witchcraft. She reveals that Abigail indulged in witchcraft, drank blood, and cast a spell to kill Elizabeth. Abigail and the other girls deny the charges by Marry and they accuse her of sending her spirit to attack them. Proctor then finds no other way but to accept his adultery in court. He denounces Abigail and calls her a greedy lying whore. He tells the court about his affair with Abigail and how Elizabeth fired her to save her married life. He accuses Abigail of lying to get Elizabeth executed to remove the only thorn in her path to become John’s wife. Judge Danforth then calls Elizabeth from the jail and questions her about affair of John with Abigail. Elizabeth doesn’t know that Proctor has already accepted the adultery charges and she doesn’t want him to face any difficulties. Thus, she denies any knowledge of such an affair and claims that her husband is completely honest. John Proctor condemns her of lying to save him as he realizes that now there is no hope for him to save Elizabeth. Abigail sees the weakness and starts attacking Marry Warren, accusing her that she is sending her spirits to kill Abigail. Marry Warren gets weak as she realizes that Elizabeth cannot be protected. She recants her confession of lying about witchcraft and claims that John is the Devil’s man.
Proctor is jailed and announced to be punished to death. Rebecca and Elizabeth also face the death penalty. Reverend Hale visits the jail to convince the prisoners to accept the charges and confess to avoid death but all of them refuse to confess. The day before he is scheduled to be hanged, Proctor decides to write a confession letter and save himself but he destroys the letter before posting it. He is hanged till death. Elizabeth’s execution has been delayed as she is pregnant.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the History of American literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.
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