Why did Arthur Miller title the play The Crucible?

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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