As Arthur Miller states in his autobiography,1 The Crucible has become his most frequently produced play. This great success of a conventional drama can certainly not be explained without regard to its political message. When the play was first performed in 1953, its audiences were quick to recognize the connections between the witch craze in 17th century Massachusetts and the American anti-communist hysteria of their own time. Like any literary text, The Crucible reflects the conditions under which it was produced, and Miller himself says that he could not have written it at any other time.2 Since in this case parallels between the events in both times are extremely striking, it seems necessary for the understanding and interpretation of the play to explain its dual historical context.
At the same time, it would be wrong to interpret Miller’s drama against this background only. Or, as Reitz puts it: “The Crucible ist kein Schlüsseldrama, das auf die vordergründige Aktualität von Wiedererkennungseffekten setzt und zu diesem Zweck Anhänger und Gegner McCarthys als Puritaner (...) kostümiert“.3 Miklos Trocsanyi argues similarly, pointing out that
Miller was glad, when in the contemporary criticism (…) less and less mention was made of and parallel drawn between the witchcraft hysteria and McCarthyism. It meant that the deeper message was more and more appreciated.4
Finding out about this “deeper message” is what the analysis of the dual historical context aims at. Therefore this research paper will, after explaining the historical circumstances of both the Salem witch hunt and the American anticommunism under McCarthy, focus on parallel phenomena underlying the events in both times. This comparison, which will be made from a psychological point of view, is intended to reveal why Miller’s play “is presently being approached more and more frequently as a cultural and historical study rather than a political allegory”.5
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. The primary historical context: Salem in 1692
II.1. The political situation in 17th century Massachusetts
II.2. Miller’s view of 17th century Puritanism
II.3. A comparison of historical and dramatic details
III. The secondary historical context: America in the 1950s
III.1. The McCarthy Era
III.2. The impact of McCarthyism on Miller’s personal life
III.3. The Reception of The Crucible in the 1950s
IV. A psychological approach to the events in 1692 and in the 1950s
V. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This research paper examines the dual historical background of Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, specifically exploring the parallels between the 1692 Salem witch trials and the anti-communist hysteria of the McCarthy era in 1950s America. The primary research goal is to move beyond viewing the play as a mere political allegory and instead analyze it as a cultural and psychological study of how collective fear, moral pride, and the suppression of individuality lead to societal tyranny.
- The intersection of historical Puritan conditions and 1950s anti-communism.
- The psychological mechanisms of guilt, confession, and the "naming of names."
- The play’s historical accuracy and Miller’s strategic artistic inventions.
- The enduring warning of how societies succumb to moral absolutism and fear.
Excerpt from the Book
II.1. The political situation in 17th century Massachusetts
The witch hunt which served as a basis for Millers play took place in 1692 in Salem, a New England colony and village inhabited by Puritans. Shortly before it broke out, the colonists had suffered a cruel disillusionment. In 1684, England’s king Charles II recalled the charter that had enabled the settlers to govern themselves, and two years later a royal governor was appointed. Their independence of the English crown being lost, the people in Massachusetts felt betrayed. In 1688, after the English king had been deposed, the colonists threw off the imposed governor. Yet their hope that God would now restore their independence proved false. William III, successor of James II, sent as a new governor Sir William Phips. The results, Morgan points out, were fatal:
A gloom settled over the colony far deeper than the depression that greeted the coming of the first governor. Men who had been rescued from despair only to be plunged back again were in a mood to suspect some hidden evil that might be responsible for their woes (…); and when the girls of Salem Village produced visible and audible evidence of something vile and unsuspected, it was all too easy to believe them.
Governor Phips arrived in Massachusetts in May 1692, when most of the people accused for witchcraft were already in prison. He established the Special Court of Oyer and Terminer, which was presided by his deputy governor William Stoughton. The judges of this court, although willing to put an end to the witch craze, helped to make it spread throughout all of New England. They did this by convicting on the basis of spectral evidence, defined by Morgan as “evidence offered by a supposed victim of witchcraft to the effect that the devil tormenting him appeared in the shape of the accused”. The accused could, to save their lives, do nothing but declare themselves guilty and, as a sign of repentance, name those who allegedly had bewitched them. Consequently, hundreds of people were suspected of witchcraft, 150 were arrested, 55 tortured until they confessed, and 19 executed.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: The introduction outlines the play's dual historical context and sets the objective to analyze the work from a psychological perspective rather than just as a political allegory.
II. The primary historical context: Salem in 1692: This chapter details the political disillusionment in 17th-century Massachusetts, Miller’s portrayal of Puritan life, and his selective use of historical facts for dramatic purposes.
III. The secondary historical context: America in the 1950s: This section covers the rise of McCarthyism, its personal impact on Miller, and the initial reception of the play by audiences during the Cold War era.
IV. A psychological approach to the events in 1692 and in the 1950s: This chapter analyzes how guilt, sexuality, and the need for moral superiority fueled both the Salem witch hunts and the 1950s anti-communist hysteria.
V. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes how Miller uses historical drama to warn against the dangers of moral absolutism and the universal risk of societal tyranny.
Keywords
Arthur Miller, The Crucible, Salem Witch Trials, McCarthyism, Puritanism, Collective Hysteria, Guilt, John Proctor, HUAC, Political Allegory, Moral Absolutism, Spectral Evidence, Individualism, Historical Drama, Cold War.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the dual historical contexts of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, bridging the gap between the 17th-century Salem witch trials and the 1950s McCarthy era in the United States.
What are the primary thematic fields analyzed?
The study focuses on the intersection of political climate, religious ideology, the psychological roots of fear, and the role of individual conscience against authoritarian pressure.
What is the central goal of the research?
The objective is to reveal why Miller’s play is increasingly understood as a deep cultural and historical analysis of human nature rather than just a contemporary political allegory.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The paper employs a comparative historical analysis supplemented by a psychological examination of how panic and guilt manifest within disparate societies.
What is the thematic focus of the main section?
The main part of the work investigates the political situations of both eras, Miller's personal experiences with the HUAC, and the underlying mechanisms that allow hysteria to thrive.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Arthur Miller, The Crucible, McCarthyism, Puritanism, collective hysteria, moral absolutism, and political allegory.
How does Miller justify his historical deviations?
Miller acknowledges that the play is not a strictly academic history; he modifies events, such as the ages of characters or the number of participants, to sharpen the focus on the internal psychological drama and thematic unity.
What role does the character John Proctor play in Miller’s argument?
Proctor serves as the moral center who overcomes his internal guilt, eventually rejecting the arbitrary rules of society to preserve his personal integrity and truth.
- Quote paper
- Kristin Hammer (Author), 2000, The Dual Historical Context of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/21381
