The Crucible Purpose Essay

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The Purpose of The Crucible The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller, which was first published in the early 1950s. The play is set in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 17th century and is based on the event that took place during the Salem witch trials. The play is an allegory for the McCarthyism era in which Arthur Miller lived. McCarthyism was a time when people were accused of being communists without any evidence. The play explores the themes of false accusations and communism through the characters and events that take place in Salem. Many say that Miller began his writing career due to the time when “his father’s coat company went bankrupt before the stock market crashed” (Boswell). For years Miller was “creating characters …show more content…

One of the girls, Betty falls into a coma-like state after the incident. The other girls, fearing punishment, begin to accuse people in the town of witchcraft. Just from the beginning of the play, it was a very accurate representation of what McCarthyism really was which was he said she said that is consistently distributed throughout the whole play. The accusations spread quickly, and soon many people are arrested and put on a trial. All trials are based on superstition and hearsay, with no real evidence. The executions came from a mix of “church politics, family feuds, and hysterical children, all of which unfolded in a vacuum of political authority” …show more content…

Most thought that it was justifiable to own up to crimes they didn't commit so they could stay alive. Giles Cory was ruled as a “standing mute” he refused to be tried by “God and my country.” Giles was killed by pressing which was illegal at that time. His famous last words were “more weight” because he consistently refused to own up to something that he did not do. In the literature, it does imply that Giles Cory was killed in this manner, but Giles specifically throughout the play was someone that was relentless about not admitting that he was involved in sorcery or in some way connected with the devil

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