Crucible by Arthur Miller \"The

¶ … Crucible by Arthur Miller

"The Crucible," a play written by American playwright Arthur Miller in the early 1950's, centers on the events which allegedly occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, often referred to as the Salem witchcraft trials. Basically, these trials concerned a group of young girls from the village of Salem who were accused by Puritan elders of practicing witchcraft and of being in communion with the devil. Part of this belief was based on the observations of the Puritan elders who believed that the girls were possessed by spirits and demons, due to the girls exhibiting strange hallucinations and physical seizures. By August of 1692, nineteen individuals had been found guilty of practicing witchcraft and were subsequently hanged or burned at the stake. Not surprisingly, since the time that "The Crucible" was first produced as a stage play, literary critics have expressed a number of opinions about exactly what the title refers to and what types of meanings it may hold.

For example, the title may be a reference to some type of container made of a substance that can resist great heat, used mostly for melting, fusing or calcining ores or metal. This type of container is often called a crucible and is generally made from either iron or some type of ceramic material, such as clay or earthenware. In Miller's play, we find a reference to this type of vessel in Act I when the Reverend Parris sees the girls dancing around a kettle which contains a "witches' brew" made from parts of frogs. Thus, the Reverend Parris quickly suspects that the girls are witches and that the kettle is some type of mysterious and magical potion.

Also, the title of the play may refer to an earth pot, such as a lamp burning before a cross.

This type of vessel could usually be found inside a church or some other type of worshipping house during the days of the Puritans and served as a kind of symbol for saying one's prayers in front of a cross, the sign of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. In Act III of the play, Miller describes the vestry of the Salem Meeting House, lit only by candles, which makes it possible that such a vessel as an earthen lamp could be present in this room.

Lastly, the title could refer to a severe test or trial. For instance, when the girls are placed on trial before their Puritan elders, they experience much trauma and tribulation; also, the character of John Proctor is placed on trial which tests his moral convictions and principles as a dedicated and devout Puritan. In addition, many other characters in the play experience trials of one kind or another, such as being tested by the circumstances surrounding the practicing of witchcraft by the young girls or by simply being a member of the larger Puritan community.