Why did Arthur Miller title the play The Crucible?

Why did Arthur Miller title the play The Crucible? The play has nothing to do with a crucible so why then? In fact, a crucible is used as a metaphor for all the events that happen in the play. Arthur Miller uses the title, The Crucible symbolically to represent the intensity of the trials and the power of hysteria as it applies to John Proctor and Giles Corey.

The title, The Crucible is a metaphor for the events that happen throughout the play there are multiple definitions for a crucible. The one that applies in this situation is, “a container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures” (dictionary.com). The way a crucible works is you heat it until the metal or material in the container melts which is exactly what happens in the city. The heat is like hysteria and as the heat increases hysteria grows until the substance is melted and everything of the original is changed into a mixed substance. As the material melts so does the town fall apart and turn into turmoil. The final meted point is the highest point of turmoil. At this point it seems like no one in this crucible is able to see right from wrong. We get to this point in the play right after John Proctor cries out, “A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boots of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud—God damns our kind especially, and we will burn together!” (Miller 120). This quote shows the insanity of the town. They have finally completely melted into a solid mixture filled with hysteria and turmoil. The other definition that applies to the play is, “a severe, searching test or trial” (dictionary.com). This definition represents the judges and witchcraft trial. Not only that, it represents many of the main characters. As the city heats up into mass hysteria people must decide if they will hold true to God and hold up what’s right or fall into the mixture to be lost. As the town begins to melt only a few people like John Proctor stay true to what is right.

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John Proctor is a prime example where situations and events that he is in are crucibles. Before even the trials, Proctor’s life was in a crucible due to his affair with Abby. We see that his life is in a crucible when he says, “Let you look to your improvement before you go to judge your own husband any more. I have forgot Abigail, and—!”(54). The quote shows proctor and his wife, Elizabeth fighting about his relationship with Abigail. He told Elizabeth the truth about his relationship and it has caused his relationship to heat up into an uncomfortable state for seven months before the trials have begun. For Proctor this event has already given him a trial of right and wrong. Proctor reaches the highest point in his tests as they are crucibles when he says, “You are pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore” (120). Proctor has just said that this court is destroying heaven and raising up the children and Abigail in specifics as Saints. Proctor’s life has completely melted in his crucible as he just threw away his good name and soul. He says God is dead and the town is going to hell when they think they are doing what is right. The only person still out there that is able to see the truth is Hale and he immediately denounces the court. Proctor does turn around as his crucible begins to settle and he passes his test when he says, “I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs” (Miller 144). Proctor has finally seen some light in him to truth. This is when his crucible begins to separate and begins to become one substance. His life is still in turmoil, but the white shred was what he was missing the whole play, which was forgiving him self and judging himself as he should. Since Proctor is the tragic hero of our play, he shows himself advancing and learning more about himself.

Giles Corey is another example of a crucible since he starts out as blind as everyone else in the village, but begins to notice the wrongs that have come of the city. We first see him as blind and a part of the melted mixture when he says, “it discomfits me! Last night—mark this—I tried and tried and could not say my prayers. And then she close her book and walks out of the house, and suddenly—mark this—I could pray again” (40). He says this thinking it was strange and really just wants to know what book she’s reading, but he still thinks the devil could be there. Immediately after this quote they examine for the devil and Giles believes that the devil is actually there in the town. This shows how Giles is just as much lost as the others. The other event that shows Giles changing from being stuck in the melting pot to being separate is when he challenges Putnam of false accusation when Danforth says, “Mr. Putnam, I have here an accusation by Mr. Corey against you. He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacobs that is now in jail” (96). When he accuses Putnam his heart is in the right place and when he is forced to give the name of his source he refuses to just to protect his friend. It shows that even if someone accuses someone else of false accusation it is meaningless as they are all stuck in this mass hysteria with no chance of escape. Giles ends up dying by press when they are interrogating him because he wanted to protect his family and friends, which shows that death is the only escape from it.

The title, The Crucible is a metaphor that represents the power of the witch trials and the strength of the mass hysteria which applies to John Proctor and Giles Corey along with many other characters. The characters were all tested and only a few remained true and separate from the melting pot, while many others fell into the mixture. In the end the truth killed those who truly realized what was happening and hysteria destroys the town.