Crucible Background Notes

1
The Crucible By Arthur Miller
BACKGROUND NOTES
2
PURITAN BELIEFS

• Convinced that most of humanity would be damned
  due to Adam Eves fall
• Not sure who were the elect and who were
  destined to be damned
• Believed in PREDESTINATION (determined by God
  before birth) and that the choice of the elect
  was arbitrary
• If elected, one could do no wrong, but if an
  elect did sin, he could still be saved because
  once elected, he would be saved forever

3
PURITAN BELIEFS CONT.

• Bible was the literal word of God
• Education very important because they must be
  able to read, interpret and debate theology
• All other ways of life were wrong
• Just as God could elect those to be saved, the
  Devil could select people to be bewitched
• Devil was a real and active enemy of mankind, not
  just an abstract figure

4
PURITAN BELIEFS CONT.

• Witches could definitely exist in society
• Felt the Devil was determined to destroy the New
  World because they were so righteous
• Naturally the Devil would need helpers witches
• Vast forests gave the Devil plenty of places to
  hide
• Believed the savage Indians could also be
  agents of the Devil

5
PURITAN BELIEFS CONT.

• Accepted and promoted the concept of THEOCRACY
  that the church should control the government
  seemingly in conflict with our belief that our
  forefathers wanted true separation of church and
  state
• Believed the following were cardinal sins
  Adultery Dancing
• Playing games
• Dressing prettily (Women were forbidden to
  do so.)

6
THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS

• Those accused of consorting with the Devil had
  committed a crime against the government and the
  punishment was hanging.
• The afflicted were those possessed
  tormented. They accused or cried out the
  names of those supposedly possessing them, the
  accused.

7
THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS

• Both men and women were accused
• In Salem, 19 people hanged along with 2 dogs,
  while 1 man was pressed to death
• Similar trials took place in other places
• The witch trials lasted less than a year (1692)

8
THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS

• Experts are unsure what caused the girls fits.
  Some believe the cause was adolescent hysteria
  while some believe it was ergot (a type of
  fungus) poisoning.
• After the trials, the jurors and magistrates
  apologized, restitution was made to the victims
  families, and a Day of Fasting and Remembrance
  was instituted.

9
McCarthyism

• Refers to the use of careless, often false,
  accusations and methods of investigating that
  violate civil liberties
• Originates from Senator Joseph McCarthys hunt
  for pinkos, radicals and Communists in the
  1950s
• Sen. McCarthy accused the Democratic
  administration of supporting Communists during a
  time when America was in a struggle with the
  Soviet Union and growing Communism.

10
McCarthyism

• Playing on Americans great fear of Communism,
  McCarthy summoned hundreds of Americans to
  testify threatened to brand them as Communists
  if they didnt.
• Mass hysteria grew and the witch hunts began.
• Several Hollywood writers, actors, and other
  famous people were questioned many were
  blacklisted and 10 were sent to prison for
  refusing to answer questions.

11
McCarthyism

• The Committee questioned Arthur Miller in 1956,
  who admitted to attending Communist meetings 10
  years earlier to learn about it.
• Miller refused to answer questions about other
  people who attended those meetings, and he was
  held in contempt of court.
• He appealed and 2 years later won his case.
• McCarthy was eventually condemned by the Senate
  for misconduct and abuse of power.

12
Similarities Between the McCarthy Hearings and
The Crucible

• Anyone opposed to the Salem judges was suspected
  of trying to undermine the court was probably
  a witch
• Panic among Puritans led to witch-hunts for the
  Devils agents
• Puritans feared the Devil his agents in the
  1600s

• Anyone opposing McCarthy was suspected of
  communism and often brought before the Senate
  committee
• Panic led to witch hunt for Communists
• Americans in the 50s feared Communism

(Millers intentional use of these similarities
makes this story an allegory.)