Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, which was published back in 1953, remains one of the most notable plays of English literature because it is full of themes that transcend time and are still relevant today. For readers to understand the intentions behind the story, it is imperative to dig deeper into the philosophy and the context within which it is set. Miller could not write explicitly about his own time because the attitudes and opinions would have been too controversial. Instead, the author chooses to set the story in Salem during the 17th century and mentions historical events that shaped American society of that time. The underlying purpose is to comment on the themes that are relevant to Miller’s own time and situation, and the examples of the witch hysteria and religious paranoia are used as metaphors for the negative side of the human nature, and especially in cases when people commit unjust and unspeakable acts as a response to irrational fear.
The themes of paranoia and hysteria are closely intertwined into the story. The panic among the villagers of Salem causes them to fall for false suspicions of others committing a crime. The most prominent example of this is Abigail, who exploits the hysteria in her community to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of practicing witchcraft to send her to jail. Also, Reverend Parris manages to use the chaos to strengthen his position and reputation among the villages by ‘pointing fingers’ at people who question his authority, such as John Proctor. The hysteria and paranoia are attributed to the immense belief of Salem people in God, which prevents them from thinking clearly or rationally: “HALE: No man may longer doubt the powers of the dark are gathered in monstrous attack up on this village. There is too much evidence now to deny it!” (Miller 61). By shedding light on the topics of hysteria and paranoia, the author makes a point about the politics of his time and how its true goals can be warped when the population is in a hysteric state. For instance, the massive panic that stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic has led to immense ways of misinformation and irrational decisions made by the public, which shows that Miller’s choice of the theme remains relevant.
The theme of jealousy is highly prominent in The Crucible and is one of the essential interpersonal issues. In the play, the actions of Abigail are highly driven by jealousy of Elizabeth, and wants her ‘rival’ to disappear so she can find love with John. Because of jealousy, Abigail sees the other young woman as her enemy and a barrier that stands in the way of her happiness. Ironically, the villagers are supposed to be intensely religious and righteous people, but the feelings of jealousy overcome them and lead to sinful behavior: “ABIGAIL: But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary” (Miller 106). Jealously also causes Thomas Putnam to envy the property of others, and he wants George Jacobs to pass away, so he gets some of his lands. Although not discussed by Miller in-depth, envy and jealousy are the driving forces for the majority of drama occurring between the characters in Salem.
Written during the period of communism fearing, or otherwise known as the “Red Scare,” the play also extensively sheds light on such themes as politics and power. In the play, both individual and sociopolitical power are relevant, with the combination of the Law and the Church facilitating the core pillars of sociopolitical power against which the population of Salem cannot stand. Due to the witch hunt hysteria, the characters of the play acquire power even though they were not relevant previously. As the witch craze in Salem intensifies, the power of Abigail increases because she becomes the core witness to the insights of the allegedly satanic cult. After the witch trial ends, Reverend Parris loses his power and authority that he used to hold in Salem. Within the climate of fear, the sociopathic nature of Abigail flourishes, which is an important twist that Miller makes intentionally. It allows to reflect on the situations in which evil people have managed to thrive at the expense of others’ stress and fear, which creates a twisted power dynamic. The author suggests that the power of superstition and paranoia is far greater than of logic, making parallels to the oppression he faced when being suspected of working for communists.
There is no theme in The Crucible that cannot be traced to the issues that modern society faces. The depth with which they are explored shows that Miller made parallels between the craze and hysteria of Salem and its witch hunt and the panic that captured the American society in the era of McCarthyism. By discussing such themes as social hysteria, power and authority, and human jealousy, the author weaves the veil of the play’s storyline to carefully camouflage his true opinions of the social and political climate of his time.
Work Cited
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Penguin, 2011.