The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and the Crucible

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The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and the Crucible

• I am wronged. It is a shameful thing that you
  should mind these folks that are out of their
  wits.
• --Martha Carrier
• Hanged August 19, 1692

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Arthur Miller (1915 - 2005)

• Lived in New York City at time of death
• Greatest works include The Crucible and Death of
  a Salesman
• Miller focuses on the tragedy of the common man
• Writings reflect on injustice (Miller was
  involved in social causes)

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Arthur Miller (1915 - 2005)

• Miller dropped out of high school but later went
  to University of Michigan
• Miller was brought to court and questioned about
  his involvement in Communism. He was thought to
  be a communist and, like many, was caught up in
  the Senator Joseph McCarthys Red Scare
• Miller was married to Marilyn Monroe (movie star)

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Facts about the Salem Witch Trials

• Over 150 tried for witchcraft
• 20 people killed (19 hanged, 1 pressed to death)
• Many more confessed
• Many more were jailed

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Facts about the Salem Witch Trials

• Later the government gave money to heirs and
  published statements saying not true
• Judge Samuel Sewall, a judge at the witchcraft
  trials, later said he was wrong for participating
  
• Cotton Mather, Puritan preacher, did much to
  arouse the people against witches

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Facts about The Crucible

• Written in 1953
• Set in the Puritan village of Salem,
  Massachusetts
• Occurs in spring, 1692
• A crucible means
• Vessel made of ceramic materials used for melting
  materials at high temperatures
• In the play, it means a severe test or trial

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• God
• Is all powerful
• Punishes the wicked and unjust

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• The Devil
• Is real
• Called Satan, Prince of Darkness, Lucifer
• Exists and works in the world
• Can take various forms (person, animal, etc.)

• Exists to separate people from God and overthrow
  good
• Lives in the woods
• Provides temptations
• Causes people to be full of fear

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• Witches
• Are real
• Are helpers of the Devil and do the Devils work
• Are not just female can be male or animal

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• Bible quote Thou shall not suffer a witch to
  live
• Exodus 2218
• In other words, the Puritans felt it was their
  religious duty to kill a witch so that he or she
  would not have to suffer being a witch)

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• If you are accused of being a witch and confess,
  you are pardoned
• If you are accused of being a witch and do not
  confess, you must be burned or hanged

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• A witch can be tried by the water test
• Tied up and tossed in a pond
• If witch sinks, is innocent
• If witch gets back to shore, is guilty

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• Puritans had a Theocracy, which is a government
  that
• God is recognized as Supreme ruler
• Religious authorities act as Gods
  representatives and control both church and state
• Government could punish for church offenses,
  like
• Not attending church
• Not knowing commandments
• Not knowing the Lords prayer

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• Puritan society demanded conformity
• Early in the colony conformity was necessary for
  survival
• Violators were not tolerated
• Roger Williams suggested paying Indians for their
  land
• Was run out of Salem
• Left and founded Rhode Island
• Turned each other in for violations against
  Puritan society
• Questions of authority (ministers and judges) vs.
  individual rights (Rebecca Nurse and John
  Proctor)

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Information regarding the Puritans concept of
the devil and witchcraft

• All this leads to fear therefore mass hysteria
• The nature of the crime of witchcraft causes
  everyone to believe the victims (the accusers)
• No witch will identify herself/ himself
• Witchcraft is an invisible crime where the victim
  is believed

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The Crucibles connection to McCarthyism and the
Red Scare

• After Korean Conflict U.S. in struggle with the
  USSR during the 1950s
• Joseph McCarthy, a congressman, made a career by
  looking for communists in the government and in
  American life
• McCarthy was head of the House UnAmerican
  Actitivies Committee (HUAC)
• Miller was called into hearing because of his
  background
• He had worked in the labor movement as a young
  man
• He had attended some writing workshops that were
  allegedly funded by the Communist party

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The Crucibles connection to McCarthyism and the
Red Scare

• McCarthys accusations were similar to a witch
  hunt because anyone who criticized or talked out
  against the hearings were accused of being a
  Communist
• People were afraid of McCarthys power and were
  afraid to speak out against him
• His accusations included a variety of groups and
  people, including the President of the United
  States

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The Crucibles connection to McCarthyism and the
Red Scare

• Miller was accused, but refused to admit that he
  was a Communist and refused to name others as
  Communists
• The connection to The Crucible is this innocent
  people were falsely accused of evil it was easy
  to get rid of your enemy just accuse him of
  being a witch or communist
• The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism and
  the Red Scare

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The End

• Witchcraft was hung, in History,But History and
  IFind all the Witchcraft that we needAround us,
  every Day
• Emily Dickinson, 1583