He was initially in an affair with his servant, Abigail William, and once his wife learned of his infidelity, she proceeded to fire the help. Deputy governor of Massachusetts and presiding judge of the Witch Trials, thinks he's honest and scrupu-lous and is convinced that he is doing right by convicting witchcraft even though there is no strong evidence suggesting that it even exist. McCarthy was an Republic Senator for the state of Wisconsin who made claims that Communist spies were in the U.S Federal Government. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! (D) someone who assembles equipment, -Joesph McCarthy - senator who leads the "witch hunts", -"House of Un-American Activities Committee", -Group of ten members of the Hollywood film industry who publicly exposed the tactics of the HUAC, -Very strict Protestant religion - protesting against the Church of England, -Broad term for language that is not literal - simile, metaphor, The setting is Salem, Massachusetts in a small Puritan community in 1692 (6 months - spring to fall), -The opposite of what is said is actually meant Nevertheless, he has a hidden sinhis affair with Abigail Williamsthat proves his downfall. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Salemites considered the forest the domain of the devil. McCarthyism was the [.] Youll be hanged soon. He was suspected (not incorrectly) of possessing close ties to the American Communist Party. It was written as an allegory for something that reminded the Salem witch trials more than 200 years later. Miller aimed to draw attention to the dangers of living in extremes. Other parallel is, lives were ruind because of accusations and punishments., In Arthur Millers, The Crucible, the Salem Witch Trials were filled with the same sins that were also shown in modern-day McCarthyism. ~John Proctor experienced internal conflict when deciding to tell the court about the affair, A reference to a famous work or famous literacy or historical character or event (bible references) He was especially fascinated by people who disagreed with the communist "witch hunt" but chose to keep their heads down and go along with it to avoid their own persecution. Meanwhile, HUAC, McCarthy and the subsequent paranoia were growing stronger by the day. Where does "fear" come from? Marauding Native Americans killed Abigail's parents when Abigail was young. -Arthur Miller = John Proctor? Lets start off with some background on who Joseph McCarthy was and what role he played in American politics. McCarthyism: In the 1940s and 1950s Americans feared the encroachment of Communism. In Salem, dolls represent evil. The Crucible: The girls unsubstantiated claims ruin lives and lead to increased hostility in Salem. Who are the main characters in the Crucible? Reverend Hale is called in to Salem to examine Parris's daughter Betty. The country had emerged from World War II as the undisputed leader of the West. People were put to punishment and the only way out was to confess and give the names of your accomplices. Miller wrote the play during the brief ascendancy of Senator Joseph McCarthy, a demagogue whose vitriolic anti-Communism proved the spark needed to propel the United States into a dramatic and fractious anti-Communist fervor during these first The insanity that came about was an indication of the fear of individual freedom (Miller 6). After Proctor is accused of witchcraft, he runs into a small pond and with arms spread shouts, God is dead. Proctor is in water, symbolic of baptism, and his arms are spread, symbolic of the Biblical Christ on the cross. The puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th century. Giles's wife, Martha, is accused of witchcraft, and he himself is eventually held in contempt of court and pressed to death with large stones. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. The Witch Trials: In addition to the similarities between McCarthyism and The Crucible already discussed, the trials symbolize the effect of intolerance, extremism, and hatred. Delusional girls make unsubstantiated claims about the existence of witches in Salem. Arthur Miller uses Abigail Williams is lying in the courtroom and to others in The Crucible to show the lying and unfair treatment of McCarthyism; there are many situations where Abigail Williams lies to try and protect herself from getting in trouble and blaming innocent people for witchcraft. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. If youre a witch you probably dont want to read this study guide. YOU WON'T TRICK ME WITH YOUR SHARING WAYS! They have no proof. Distinguishing Between Action Verbs and Linking Verbs. This meant that people were forced to either confess to the crime of witchery or shove the blame towards a different person. Nuance cannot be tolerated because the people in charge feel that the stakes are too high. Anyone deemed suspicious was issued a subpoena by the committee and subsequently questioned about their political activities and the activities of other potential subversives. Miller wrote The Crucible because he had a story to tell. Confused, the people didnt know who to blame whether it be the girls, the negro slave, or even the Devil himself. The Crucible is an allegory for what happened during the "red scare" in American in the 1950's. Senator McCarthy accused many people of being part of the communist party. In 1956 Miller was subpoenaed to appear before HUAC. The Second Red Scare happened between 1947-1954 and Sen. Joseph McCarthy feared that Soviet, Korean and Chinese communist spies occupied the federal government which later turned out to be false. However, the play wasn't only written to account the history. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! Giles Corey's third wife. What object do the girls claim to see in the rafters of the courtroom? Some people believed him because they had fear of communism. In another relevant quote, Miller writes, "The Soviet plot was the hub of a great wheel of causation; the plot justified the crushing of all nuance, all the shadings that a realistic judgment of reality requires." I'll not give my wife to vengeance! The HUAC thought he had Communist ties and stopped him from getting a passport to see the premiere of the opera adaptation of the Crucible in London. We've written detailed character analyses for Abigail Williams, Rebecca Nurse, Mary Warren, John Proctor, and Giles Corey. What are the parallels between the incidents Miller dramatizes and the acts of Senator McCarthy in the 1950s? The continuous accusing went on until the original list of over 200 grew to almost 10,000. The Army sent inside information about McCarthys abuses of power to his critics, and a storm of bad PR finally led to the loss of his position as chairman of the investigatory committee. Lastly, Thomas Putnam is a greedy man with gluttony for land and shows it in his attitude towards some townspeople. Tituba agrees to perform voodoo at Abigail's request. A stern, harsh-tongued man, John hates hypocrisy. (B) one who gives professional or technical advice Hated the fact that John and Abigail had an affair. Puritans were a strict religous group that tolerated no devious behavior. The list that was made grew as more people accused others for personal revenge. Many people were brought before the government and questioned about being a communist. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible during an interesting time in American history. Second, Proctor showed much pride during the trials as well as revealing his previous lust for another. One of the similarities of these 2 eras is the scare factor. Is a voice of reason and justice in the town and is not a purtitan. Abigail Williams (born c. 1681) was an 11 or 12-year-old girl who, along with nine-year-old Betty Parris, was among the first of the children to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692; these accusations eventually led to the Salem witch trials. Miller was found in contempt of Congress for refusing to betray his peers, but the ruling was overturned two years later as HUAC lost power and relevance. Reverend John Hale A young minister reputed to be an expert on witchcraft. Corey has enough courage to accuse Thomas Putnam of "reaching out for land" in court (Miller III,1074). In 1953, celebrated American playwright Arthur Miller wrote a play The Crucible, which presented the true horror of the Salem witch trials. The danger lies in assuming that purely because someone holds a political or religious belief, he or she must pose a threat. His concern for the common man and his "indictment" of McCarthy were presented through his play, The Crucible, written in 1952. Most of the accused in "The Crucible" can be tied back to greed, hatred, insecurities, grudges and hatred-not to actual witchcraft. The Crucible manages a unique examination of political persecution as a means for deflecting attention from difficult situations. Mary Warren's poppet that was found inside the Proctor house with a needle inside it. The 17-year-old niece of Reverend Parris. Was protective of his land, manipulates his daughter by making her say that people are witches so that her father could buy his neighbors' land, wealthy influential, holds a grudge against Francis Nurse for preventing his brother in law from being elected to the office of minister, He sits aside Danforth over witch trials and thinks that the trials are going to far. This sort of behavior is one of the biggest contributors to the panic that grows throughout The Crucible. They will put your phone on trace. In comparison, McCarthyism was a post-WWII investigation of Communists in the United States Government that involved blatant lies given by Joseph McCarthy that can relate to the lies shown by the townspeople of Salem during the Witch Trials. John and her and has conflicts in their practices but still love each others. Any man who has been named by a either a senator or a committee or a congressman as dangerous to the welfare of this nation, his name should be submitted to the various intelligence units, and they should conduct a complete check upon him. McCarthy was a Republican from Wisconsin who rose through the political ranks in the 1940s and was elected to the Senate in 1946. The public, in the throes of a communist hysteria, demanded an investigation of these supposed agitators within the government. Nurse is well respected by most people in Salem, but is an enemy of Thomas Putnam and his wife. Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," a partially fictionalized play that depicts the Salem witch trials, is similar to the "Red Scare," a series of government's actions which were provoked by Senator McCarthy's paranoia about the presence of communists within the American government. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. McCarthy gathered 57 cases of individuals who would appear to be either card-carrying members or certainly loyal to the communist party (McCarthy), which relates to Reverend Hale from The Crucible demonstrating his power by flaunting the deaths warrants he McCarthy represents reverend Hale on many levels as well, considering he set off the idea of communism as Hale had set off the idea of a town full of devil workers. Today, scenarios like this can be even more insidious because "witch hunts" are conducted for types of people that really do exist. Parallels of McCarthyism and The Crucible led people to introspect on the McCarthy hearings and the Salem witch trials. In 1946 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and in 1950 he publicly charged that 205 communists had infiltrated . A wealthy, influential man in Salem. In his memoir, Timebends, Miller sees a connection between the Salem witch trials and McCarthys campaign. They agreed but nevertheless asked him in the hearing which he refused to answer. This can be connected to The Crucible because of what the main character, Abigail, does to get what she wants. After World War II, as Cold War tensions mounted, HUAC became even more intent on investigating communist activities. Arthur Miller wrote "The Crucible" in an attempt to create moral awareness for society. So, in "The Crucible" the courts and the judges would represent Senator McCarthy (who led the red scare in the senate) and the others in government who questioned people and blacklisted them from working, just like Danforth and others jailed "witches". Salem was a Puritan society at the time, which meant that there was a strict moral code that encompassed Puritan lifestyle. Proctor would represent any rebellion movement against the red scare, and the voice of reason and logic against mass hysteria that often gets squelched in the craziness that accompanies any type of witch hunt. The Crucible: Townspeople are not willing to stand up to the court for fear of being accused of being a witch. As a result of this, Arthur Miller created the character in his play, The Crucible who is a McCarthy-like character named Judge Thomas Danforth, who spread the fear of witchcraft among many people while encouraging his own power in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. People will go to great lengths to avoid being ostracized by society, including, in many cases, betraying their true beliefs and selling out their friends. -Abigail blames Tituba; Tituba blames the devil, Sarah Good, and Mrs. Osborn; the girls blame many others, Two unlike things that are compared using "like or as" How did his own experiences shape his writing? Has some morals with John and has justice and reason. Can an innocent person be guilty? Local farmer who lives just outside town and is a stern, harsh tongued, smart and had an affair with Abigail Williams. What happened to the city during the war in Fahrenheit 451? Corey represents courage perfectly in The Crucible. Characters like John Proctor, Abigail William and Hathorne represent Arthur Miller, Joseph McCarthy, and J.Edgar Hoover. Ask below and we'll reply! A man from Salem who acts as clerk of the court during the witch trials. Although the act is fiction, Miller established the plot of his play on historical events and his characters show how fear and paranoia can amplify into something beyond its might. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller alludes to this period of time by using Abigail Williams to represent Joseph McCarthy and by using the General Court of Salem to represent the Division of Security. Some people (including his former friend Elia Kazan) predictably complained that Millers analogy between the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism was bogus. John Proctor's wife. Want to receive an original paper on this topic? Latest answer posted December 16, 2019 at 7:31:02 AM. Proctor sacrifices himself for the good of Salem and to honor those saints (Rebecca and Martha) who refuse to lie. the characters and plot developments in THE CRUCIBLE symbolize the individuals and events that took place during McCarthy's anti-communist campaign (e.g. In what steps of the manufacturing process is mass production used? The practice of Senator Joseph McCarthy, in which he accused people of disloyalty, persuades the accused to incriminate friends and associates. The Forest: Puritans believed that the forest was the devils dominion. In The Crucible, Arthur Millers message is that public hysteria based on fear destroys peoples lives. There is more to the play than the witch trials, though. These investigations went on for two years, during which the questioning spread to numerous government departments, and there was a continued proliferation of communist panic. Having taught 'Crucible' many times to 11th-year students, I would surmise that the character most like McCarthy is Putnam. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: John Proctor, Critical Context (Masterplots II: Juvenile & Young Adult Literature Series), Critical Context (Comprehensive Guide to Drama), http://www.17thc.us/docs/fact-fiction.shtml. Danforth claims that there is "a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!" Miller used Proctor and others like him to symbolize the ulterior motives that many people had for labelling people as witches, or as communists; for example, Abby was jealous of Elizabeth and so labelled her a witch. When he stumbled upon the story of the Salem witch trials, he finally came up with a way to express those themes on stage.The Crucible was also a reaction his personal disappointment at the decision of his friend, director Elia Kazan, to name some former colleagues as communists in 1952 in front of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. They would probably be executed if someone had doubted the ruler or questioned them. Miller expresses important messages specifically about injustice, hysteria, and reputation. These gaps in knowledge made peoples minds open to any kind of explanation. A Comprehensive Guide. Had people questioned either of these mens authority, their power may have been stripped and lives may have been spared. What are the major themes in The Crucible? Though many of the people on McCarthys list were not, in fact, communists, he still managed to become the chairman of an organization called the Government Committee on Operations of the Senate, which proceeded to investigate "dissenters." Like many puritan women, Elizabeth Proctor is dutiful and loves her husband dearly. Copyright 2022 Bright Hub Education. "Oh Abigail, what proper payment for my charity". She is a timid girl, easily influenced by those around her, who tried unsuccessfully to expose the hoax and ultimately recanted her confession. Identify appropriate dress for three special occasions. McCarthy, the creator of the idea McCarthyism, was a strong fighter against communism during the Red Scare. The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. Download it for free now: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '688715d6-bf92-47d7-8526-4c53d1f5fe7d', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '03a85984-6dfd-4a19-93c8-5f46091f5e2b', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Reading this article, you can quickly see many similarities between the play and the paranoia and fear surrounding the Communist threat in the 1950s. This extends to the Puritan government and church, both being entrusted to protect its citizens, yet both doing the opposite. Elizabeth Proctors Pregnancy: Elizabeths execution is stalled on account of her pregnancy. novel) represents something else on a symbolic level -The entire play symbolizes the Red . It seems crazy that society could be fooled into believing in things like witches and deal with the events in such an extreme manner. Arthur Miller had great distaste for McCarthy's investigations in the early 1950s, and he claims to have written The Crucible in 1953 largely as a reaction to this tense political climate. Latest answer posted April 17, 2020 at 1:25:04 AM. A reference to a famous work or famous literacy or historical character or event (bible references)-"where Abigail walks the crowd will part like the sea of Israel" . Weak, insecure, paranoid, wants to be the leader in Salem, preaches by scaring people, he didn't care of the well being of his daughter, and everyone who's against him he tries to accuse him of some type of crime. undergraduate, Miller composed The Crucible in the early 1950s. His arrival sets the hysteria in motion, although he later regrets his actions and attempts to save the lives of those accused. McCarthyism: Those who were accused were assumed guilty, put on trial, and expected to divulge the names of other Communist sympathizers. Yet, one life lost in the result of millions after that seems like a sensible thought., The McCarthy Era and The Crucible can relate in many ways, in both of these times people were accused for wrong doings. The Crucible is about these three things, which are represented by Giles Corey, Mary Warren, and Reverend John Hale. McCarthyism: McCarthys unsubstantiated claims ruined lives and led to increased hostility. The Red Scare was a witch hunt where the US government was searching for "dangerous communists." Abigail Williams was a real person involved in the Salem Witch Hunt but her character in the play was altered a small bit for dramatic effect. The Crucible: Salem established itself as a religious community in the midst of evil. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Why does Elizabeth not hang at the end of the play? Putnam is the single most narrow-minded, self-serving guy in the story. He agreed but asked if the committe didnt ask him to name people involved. Both 12 Angry Men and The Crucible have similarities, both plays have main . Photo of Joseph McCarthy by United Press (Library of Congress) [Public domain]. -The purging of the emotions of or relieving emotional tension In 1956, Miller was subpoenaed by HUAC after attempting to renew his passport before traveling to Belgium for the opening of The Crucible. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. The start of chaos and the implant of fear in the peoples mind was started by , which character in the crucible represents joseph mccarthy. The book was written as a reaction to a tragic time in our countries history. Arthur Miller uses his play to make social commentary about the events that were occurring in the era in which he lived in. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953. Using literary devices such as pathos, tone, and hyperbole, Senator McCarthy manipulated the minds of the American people . The ones who said yes were on the list. ~ Adultery In The Crucible, Abigail's character is similar to Senator Joseph McCarthy, the biggest practitioner of political McCarthyism. This number is a sign of the huge number of victims, executed in the play. Its not difficult to see the parallels between McCarthyism and The Crucible's plot. Miller, however, says he viewed the analogy as perfectly sound. During McCarthyism, the HUAC would force the accused people to cite others, so they could be exonerated. Rebecca is a wise, sensible, and upright woman, held in tremendous regard by most of the Salem community. Abigail has Mary Warren fooled. Conservatives in the US feared that anyone who had any affiliation with the Communist Party was a potential threat to national security because they couldnt be trusted to remain loyal to the US. Senator Joseph McCarthy, 1953 As a result of this, Arthur Miller created the character in his play, "The Crucible" who is a McCarthy-like character named Judge Thomas Danforth, who spread the fear of witchcraft among many people while encouraging his own power in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. 91). Miller saw these sorts of irrational thought processes (weeding out officials associated with China in the US government with the goal of diminishing Chinas power overall) as corollaries to the supernatural beliefs of his characters. as when comparing two events to prove a point. Though the modern-day witch hunt philosophy carries his namesake, Joseph McCarthy was far from the only driving force behind the investigation of suspected communists during the Cold War. Failure to do so led to sanctions. Joseph McCarthy was born on November 14, 1908, near Appleton, Wisconsin. He is upright and determined to do his duty for justice.