The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

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The Crucible

Arthur Miller       

Danielle Winfield

Candidate number: 8405

For my GCSE drama coursework we have studied the crucible by Arthur Miller. In the play Miller displays how easily people can be fooled by the innocence of youth. He also exposes the gullibility of common people, even people such as Danforth and Hathorne, who play the role of the "wise" judges. A single girl, Abigail, causes the downfall of the whole society. Abigail scares the younger part of the society into submission. The people, who must decide the fate of the rest of the society, see only her innocence and truthfulness.


Abigail seeks the affection of John Proctor, a farmer who is respected and feared by most of the townspeople. Proctor makes a foolish mistake when he has an affair with Abigail, later on he regrets having this affair, and he wants Abigail to forget that it ever happened. Abigail does not want to let him go, she wants him to decide between his wife, Elizabeth Proctor or her, Abigail. Abigail is deprived of attention and she seeks it from the community.

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Arthur Miller wrote the crucible because at the time there was a witch-hunt going on in America called McCarthyism, The same terror, which paralysed Salem citizens in the spring of 1692, was paralysing the United States. Actors were replacing Salem citizens, Communists were replacing witches, and Danforth turned over his court to McCarthy and the HUAC. Blind men of equivalent stuff were again forging history. One plot made way to another. The play was written to prove how powerful Joe McCarthy was and also to show that its not right to judge somebody on what someone else has said ...

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