Status
Available
Publication
Penguin Classics (2003), 143 pages
Description
"I believe that the reader will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history," Arthur Miller wrote in an introduction to The Crucible, his classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. Based on historical people and real events, Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions; and when a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, self-righteous church leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial. The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor brilliantly illuminate the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence. Written in 1953, The Crucible is a mirror Miller uses to reflect the anti-communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's witch-hunts in the United States. Within the text itself, Miller contemplates the parallels, writing: "Political opposition ... is given an inhumane overlay, which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized behavior. A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it meets with diabolical malevolence."… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SumisBooks
A rare case where the film was true to the book (or play in this case). Easy to read but could be very difficult to follow if you are not familiar with the characters. There are many characters and they all play significant roles. Though not 100% historically accurate it is still beautifully retold
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in a way that's much more reader friendly. This is one of those classics that everyone should read at least once. Show Less
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
This play, first performed Jan 22, 1953, is a powerful work, even though it is only loosely based on the actual Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693, the historical persons being changed. I have seldom been so transfixed by reading a play and can imagine it would be a very gripping event to see the
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play performed. I have long been much interested in European witch trials--an ancestor of mine was a defendant in such a trial in the 16th century in Germany, but with the help of an able lawyer she was not convicted. I have not paid much attention to the Salem trials but after reading this play would like to read an able historical account o the trials. Does anyon e kow of such a nonfiction work? The best book on The European wich trial craze I have read is Servants of Satan: The Age of the Witch Hunter, by Joseph Klaits (read 11 Oct 1986). Show Less
LibraryThing member stefano
extremely powerful book with a lot happening at many intersecting levels: it is like a chain reaction of personal petty motives against a bleak background of ideological and political instability. some of the details are amazingly powerful (Abigail can feel the heat of John as he wanders lustful
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through the night; the cows wandering on the highroads while their masters are in jail). strongly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member StephenBarkley
There’s something refreshing about reading plays (something I don’t do nearly enough). It takes some serious literary wizardry to tell a compelling story within a mere few hours of dialogue.
Dialogue is (obviously) the foundation of any play, and Miller’s is snappy and engaging. It doesn’t
"I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris [the preacher]. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more."
The historical setting is the Salem Witch trials—a dark and tragic era of American history. The fourth act in particular brings this depravity to a head. I could almost hear the fifth movement of Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique echoing in the background while I read it.
You can’t go wrong with Arthur Miller.
Dialogue is (obviously) the foundation of any play, and Miller’s is snappy and engaging. It doesn’t
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take long to lose yourself in a mental picture of the ongoing discussions, arguments, and commiserations. Many of the lines are quote-worthy, especially this one from Proctor:"I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris [the preacher]. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more."
The historical setting is the Salem Witch trials—a dark and tragic era of American history. The fourth act in particular brings this depravity to a head. I could almost hear the fifth movement of Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique echoing in the background while I read it.
You can’t go wrong with Arthur Miller.
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LibraryThing member cinesnail88
This was a lot of fun to read, though I had to go back and reread it outside of class because I wasn't paying attention in class due to mathematics. It was a simple, classic play though, and I enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of the Salem Witch Trials and it was interesting to read about.
LibraryThing member Tyler_Russell
A somewhat strange story about a group of girls who go crazy about witchcraft in their comunity. everyone believes that the accusations are correct and there for many people are put to death because of it.
LibraryThing member Devil_llama
A fictionalized history of the Salem witch trials. The author changes some of the dynamics of the time, making the girls older than they really were, and introducing a love triangle between a major player, John Proctor, and one of the main girls involved in accusations, Abigail Williams. This is
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unfortunate, because it loses some of the power that the play might have by adding in the revenge fantasy of a teenage girl who in real life was a bored pre-teen. In spite of that, the play uses characters and situations that actually existed, and is a powerful indictment of mob hysteria. The work is still relevant, as people continue to deal with situations of mass responses to events. Show Less
LibraryThing member MColv9890
A seminal piece of critical American Literature, this short play encapsulates the McCarthy era by enhancing the tragic story of a witch hunt in Salem in colonial times. The concepts of a shared lie and mass conformity are discussed in critical detail.
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
Preceded by both All My Sons and The Death of a Salesman, this historical drama has also withstood the test of time to become a standard of the American theater. Once considered by some to be not much more than a political pamphlet allegorically railing against the excesses of McCarthyism, in its
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maturity it has gradually been revealed to be a masterfully insightful take on the tragedy of the Salem witch hysteria. Perhaps too this play is better read independently of contemporary political rhetoric. I find it a provocative take on the passions of ordinary people during colonial America undergoing a battle with their passions that is as old as the dramatization of tragedy itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member Duranfan
I have to re-read this one every few years, just to remind myself of how stupid people in large groups can be dangerous.
Most people read this in high school and/or college and think it's only a play about the Salem Witch Trials. Miller wrote this as a backlash to the McCarthyism during the 50s,
Look around yourselves, friends and neighbors. Now we have government officials trying to keep us in a constant state of fear of Terrorists. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
This book may never lose its relevance.
Most people read this in high school and/or college and think it's only a play about the Salem Witch Trials. Miller wrote this as a backlash to the McCarthyism during the 50s,
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when people of all walks of life were being accused of being a Communist, ready to bring about the downfall of the Democracy of the United States.Look around yourselves, friends and neighbors. Now we have government officials trying to keep us in a constant state of fear of Terrorists. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
This book may never lose its relevance.
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LibraryThing member kettykat
This is a timeless work of art in writing. Arthur Miller's classic about the Salem witch trials, in which a group of teen-age girls are both accused of witchcraft and in turn blissfully accuse others. Miller has done an astonishing job of taking a real historical event and finding the unfortunate
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truths about humanity in it that make it not an isolated circumstance. Having had seen both the film and stage play and read the book itself this will always be a favorite of mine. Show Less
LibraryThing member AliceAnna
Very long for a play. The subject and characters are wonderful, but I think it could have and should have been tightened up to make it better theatre. It reads very well as a piece of fiction, but reading a play isn't the point. Overall, a very fine (if long) play.
LibraryThing member alexandraboxer
I enjoyed the The Crucible much more then Death of a Salesman. The Crucible was more interesting to me because it was based on the Salem witch trials. These trials were a time of chaos and lies. Miller does a great job of portraying the feelings of both sides of the story; the people who started
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rumors and the people who were caught in them. Every moment of the play is exciting and for such a serious topic, Miller adds a lot of humor. He makes the character of Abigail and all of Abigail's friends so obsessed with naming people witches that you can't help but laugh at their accusations. The allegory of the play is what completes it. I would give this play 5 stars, it is definitely the best play i have ever read. Show Less
LibraryThing member FTW2012
This book was slightly difficult to get into. Especially when it is being read in class. I struggled with following the events that occured when it was being read aloud. Truthfully i loved the movie, but I'm not sure if i would be as impressed with reading it. this hypothesis only comes from the
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fact that i did not enjoy reading the beginning, but i loved the beginning shown in the movie. This proves to me, in my opinion, that some movies are possibly better than the books. Though this a rare occurrence, I now believe that it is possible. I don't know if i will find it the same with other books but i hope to find out Show Less
LibraryThing member LoriFox
I just finished The Crucible. Even after knowing the story and watching the movie version, I still found it haunting and chillingly similar to our current political environment here in the US. The group hysteria (Trumpsters) fed by those who recently gained power (the Republican Party), grounded in
Miller writes in such a way that we feel the utter disbelief, despair, and almost hopelessness of those accused of witchcraft. So many logical fallacies populate the mindset of the magistrates in charge of hearing the accusations and sentencing the accused that it’s hard to keep track of them all.
Some archaeologists claim that the downfall of the human race came with the rise of civilization during the Neolithic revolution 5,000-10,000 years ago. More specifically, I would add that the advent of organized religion was the true catalyst. Over the millennia it has set the stage for mass hysteria, persecution, genocide, ecological terrorism, and mass animal and plant extinction. I believe belief in organized religion allows adherents to deny climate change, and gives them an excuse to persecute those who are not like them, to drive to extinction plants and animal species, and to rape the earth, all the while looking to the sky for validation. They turn a blind eye to the reality of the Mother Earth we live on in favor of the invisible father they long to reunite with. They see no hypocrisy in their actions. Yet, they ignore the wisdom and words of the god they claim to follow (Jesus) in the name of seeking favor with the lie invisible sky deity.
The Crucible is a haunting example of the horrors that occur when church and state are not kept separate.
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ignorance, fear, evangelical religious beliefs, and the desire to retain power has created a similar scenario. Miller writes in such a way that we feel the utter disbelief, despair, and almost hopelessness of those accused of witchcraft. So many logical fallacies populate the mindset of the magistrates in charge of hearing the accusations and sentencing the accused that it’s hard to keep track of them all.
Some archaeologists claim that the downfall of the human race came with the rise of civilization during the Neolithic revolution 5,000-10,000 years ago. More specifically, I would add that the advent of organized religion was the true catalyst. Over the millennia it has set the stage for mass hysteria, persecution, genocide, ecological terrorism, and mass animal and plant extinction. I believe belief in organized religion allows adherents to deny climate change, and gives them an excuse to persecute those who are not like them, to drive to extinction plants and animal species, and to rape the earth, all the while looking to the sky for validation. They turn a blind eye to the reality of the Mother Earth we live on in favor of the invisible father they long to reunite with. They see no hypocrisy in their actions. Yet, they ignore the wisdom and words of the god they claim to follow (Jesus) in the name of seeking favor with the lie invisible sky deity.
The Crucible is a haunting example of the horrors that occur when church and state are not kept separate.
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LibraryThing member TurtleCreekBooks
Always a classic, interesting in terms of the history of the trials, the possible motivations behind them, people's nobility (or lack thereof), and simply well written drama. What is interesting to keep in mind is that (a) the number of girls involved in the "crying out" was drastically reduced for
There are so many memorable lines from this play, but a favourite of mine is when Proctor tells his wife that her justice would "freeze beer". And where he says "I have not moved from here to there without thinking to please you, but an everlasting funeral marches in your heart". My goodness, but even the bickering is well written.
There are even funny lines, and lines that Miller thought would be funny be where the audience is typically deadpan. One of those lines is where the inquisitor/lawyer/preacher Hale says "we must not look to superstition in this - the devil is very precise". Miller thought that would raise the roof with laughter, but the audience is always serious at that point.
Please accept my apologies for any errors in the quotations - am providing them by memory here.
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the play, (b) Abigail Williams was a very young girl (I think 12 years old), which in today's thinking makes the noble Proctor something of a pedophile, (c) the treatment and background of Tituba is largely omitted, as is the information on Tituba's husband (an interesting character himself), (d) the mercantile background of the preacher Parris. There are so many memorable lines from this play, but a favourite of mine is when Proctor tells his wife that her justice would "freeze beer". And where he says "I have not moved from here to there without thinking to please you, but an everlasting funeral marches in your heart". My goodness, but even the bickering is well written.
There are even funny lines, and lines that Miller thought would be funny be where the audience is typically deadpan. One of those lines is where the inquisitor/lawyer/preacher Hale says "we must not look to superstition in this - the devil is very precise". Miller thought that would raise the roof with laughter, but the audience is always serious at that point.
Please accept my apologies for any errors in the quotations - am providing them by memory here.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
Set in Salem, Mass. during the witch trials in 1692, the play demonstrates the power of a mislead crowd, personal revenge and malice. Young teenage girls are questioned about witchcraft and in their nervous fear they accuse many of the town's women of being witches. Caught up in the heat of the
I didn't feel truly immersed in the play until midway through Act III. There's a moment that made my heart break for the main two characters, Protor and his wife. It reminded me of a tragic version of The Gift of the Magi. The third and fourth acts deal with the characters' motives for the decisions they make and the eternal consequences of their actions. The play feels a bit stiff in the first half, but hang in there for the final acts. It was worth it.
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trials, the girls convince themselves that the accused women have actually done something to them and things spiral out of control. The leader of the hysterical girls is Abigail, who has her own reasons for orchestrating the insanity. I didn't feel truly immersed in the play until midway through Act III. There's a moment that made my heart break for the main two characters, Protor and his wife. It reminded me of a tragic version of The Gift of the Magi. The third and fourth acts deal with the characters' motives for the decisions they make and the eternal consequences of their actions. The play feels a bit stiff in the first half, but hang in there for the final acts. It was worth it.
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LibraryThing member rholden
At first, I read this play just to read it for enjoyment and because I had to read it for my english class. But then I got really interested in the play, the characters, and the topic of the play: the witch trials in Salem. I read more about the witch trials in Salem during the 1600's and it really
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is unbelievable how this happened. Reading The Crucible gave me a much better understanding and point of view of the issues during this time rather than just researching about it. I recomend this play. Show Less
LibraryThing member chichyJakMysz
Hm. This is one of those stories that left me with that contented sort of feeling when through with it.
LibraryThing member stipe168
a play about the salem witch trials. i never though it was too extraordinary.
LibraryThing member LibraryLou
I really enjoyed reading this play at school, and still reread it now. The film was good I thought, although a bit too fanciful.
This play sets the scene for the Salem witch trials in America, that have spawned the tacky souvenirs and witch type mania over there. Based on the true events that
This play sets the scene for the Salem witch trials in America, that have spawned the tacky souvenirs and witch type mania over there. Based on the true events that
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happen. Show Less
LibraryThing member ysar
Having both read the play and seen it acted out, I can honestly say this is a wonderful work.
LibraryThing member sheim
I read this for a library book club, and I really enjoyed it, I wish I could learn more about the witch trials in school!
LibraryThing member ausie7
This book is definaitly not my style. I'm not much for religious stories. This play was just too out there for me. I didn't enjoy any parts of it. I couldn't wait for the book to end. The characters did not appeal to me at all.
LibraryThing member 391
"The Crucible" provides an interesting allegory for the communist witch hunts by way of the Salem witch trials. The language is beautiful; possibly one of the few plays that is as engaging read as seen. The only quibble I really have is that some scenes seem to move a bit too slow, which is easily
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rectified by a top-notch cast. A very, very good play. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2002)
Tony Award (Winner — Play — 1953)
New York Drama Critics' Circle Award (Runners Up — 1953)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1953-01-22
Physical description
143 p.; 5.06 inches
ISBN
0142437336 / 9780142437339
Local notes
theater