The Crucible Ms. Fynan English 2

Puritans Why did the Puritans come to America? To escape religious persecution What did the Puritans do during the Salem Witch Trials? Persecute, convict, and kill people for practicing witchcraft (or for being suspected of doing so).

Witchcraft Puritans believed in witches and witchcraft. To Puritans, witchcraft was considered “entering into a compact with the devil in exchange for certain powers to do evil.” In essence, witchcraft was a sin and those suspected of practicing were thoroughly investigated and, for the most part, convicted and punished.

The Salem Witch Trials Began in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts Several girls, bored with their oppressive lives went into the woods to conjure love spells based on stories that they had heard from a servant from the West Indies. Reverend Parris’ daughter, Betty, and his niece Abigail began experiencing extreme fits of screaming, convulsion, and hallucination. A doctor examined them and concluded that they only explanation for their symptoms was witchcraft.

a way for people to steal their neighbors’ land Why did it happen? a way for the oppressed girls to avoid punishment (they said witches made them dance in the woods) a way for people to steal their neighbors’ land a way for people to steal others’ wives, husbands, or professions a way for people to get revenge on those they disliked

They lasted for eight months. In that time: 150 people were arrested and imprisoned for witchcraft 27 people were convicted 19 people were hanged 1 person was pressed to death The Salem Witch Trials was a prime example of how deep the fear of the supernatural ran in the Puritan world.

Who Were the Witches? Most of those convicted were women. Many of the convicted were healers and healed with plants and herbs. Many of the convicted did not have family, making them easier targets. Many of the convicted did not fit in with the Puritan mold.

Evidence The Floating test Tied to a rock and put in the water Sank= innocent Floated= guilty

Arthur Miller Born in 1915 in NYC His family was greatly impacted by the Great Depression Father lost his company The family had to move to a smaller house in Brooklyn. After he graduated high school he worked as a truck driver, radio singer, and clerk.

He went to the University of Michigan and began writing plays 1948- He completed The Death of a Salesman, which won a Pulitzer Prize. The Crucible was published in 1953. Married to Marilyn Monroe for 5 years.

In 1956 and 1957, Miller is called before the House Un- American Activites Committee and asked to give the names of writers involved in Communist activities. Miller refuses to name names and is convicted for Contempt of Court His conviction was later overturned. Miller wrote The Crucible as a response to McCarthyism. “Beyond anything else The Crucible is a study in power and mechanisms by which power is sustained, challenged, and lost” (xvii).

McCarthyism McCarthyism is a term used to describe this intense period of suspicion in the US during the 50s. Joseph McCarthy was a senator from Wisconsin who insisted that the Communists had infiltrated the Department of State. House Un-American Activities Committee Investigated allegations of Communism People from all walks of life were accused. Allegations turned into obsessive “witch hunts” often based on questionable evidence.

Many of the accused were denied jobs Actors, directors, writers, and those in artistic fields were particularly scrutinized. Arthur Miller was blacklisted as well. McCarthy ruined the reputations of many over false accusations. In 1954, Edward Murrow, a CBS reporter, aired a report that showed McCarthy as being dishonest, harsh, and abusive.

“An Allegory of Our Time” Allegory- a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. Written in the form of parables, or fables Its purpose is to tell a story that has characters, a setting, as well as other types of symbols, that have both literal and figurative meanings.