The Crucible is a study of Power and Manipulation, select any three characters and discuss this idea.

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The Crucible is a study of Power and Manipulation, select any three characters and discuss this idea.

The Crucible was written 1950s America by Arthur Miller. Miller strongly opposed the crusade by Senator Joe McCarthy, against people he perceived to be communists. Many of these people were playwrights, actors, actresses and movie producers etc.

        This period of American history reflects a conflict between the USA and the Soviet Bloc, differing opinions on how you should live resulted in fear of other ways of life. This fear bred prejudice and anxiety. People were encouraged to report anyone they suspected of having different political views to those of the establishment.

        Miller used all of these ideas and events to base his play the crucible on, it centres itself around Salem village in 1692, when the community was gripped by acquisitions of witch craft. Miller draws closely on parallels between 1950s America and Salem in 1692, in this way the play is an allegory: a story which has an underlying meaning as well as the real one. At both times people were persecuted for not following the traditional way of living.

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        The play is a tangle weld of deceit of lives it seems that each and every one of the characters has something to hide; during the court room scene in Act 3 many of these lies appear.

        John Proctor has been a quiet character up until this point, but he appears at court now in an attempt to save his wife who has been accused of witch craft by Abigail, we as the audience know that this is not true because we know there is a different reason why she has been accused: Abigail’s greed and passion. John brought his ...

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