The Crucible Arthur Miller, Witch Hunts and More

Arthur Miller His Life, Accomplishments and Works

Arthur Miller His Life Born in New York City in 1915 Son of a coat manufacturer who suffered financial ruin in the Great Depression of the 1930’s (This greatly affects his work) Worked to pay for his college at an automobile-parts warehouse Attended and graduated from University of Michigan

Arthur Miller Miller began writing scripts for stage and radio He worked as a laborer in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and a cardboard factory while beginning his career He was married three times, his second wife was Marilyn Monroe a famous actress and symbol of the 1950’s Miller’s Second Wife, Marilyn Monroe

Arthur Miller Miller is considered as one of the best of contemporary playwrights His Works Miller first published Situation Normal and a Broadway play The Man Who Had All the Luck He wrote a novel, Focus, which dealt with anti- Semitism His first works were received without enthusiasm, however he continued and his later works brought him recognition and fame

Arthur Miller His Works Continued Miller’s most successful play was Death of a Salesman, made into a movie on more than one occasion Miller’s other works include All My Sons, A View from the Bridge, After the Fall and many more Miller also was made famous by his play The Crucible, which dealt with the persecution of people during the Salem Witch Trials

Arthur Miller His Works Continued The financial ruin of his father greatly affected what Miller wrote Miller is seen as attempting to incorporate tragedy and social drama Tragedy deals with the fall of a character, while social drama is drama that concerns itself with social issues The Death of a Salesman is linked with Willy Loman’s fall and the issues of the 1950’s

Arthur Miller His Works Concluded Miller’s The Crucible concerns itself with historical events of the Witch Trials as they reflected what was occurring in the McCarthy Investigations of the 1950’s The Crucible is an exploration of mass hysteria, persecution and power dynamics. The Crucible was also a way for Miller to criticize the McCarthy hearings of the 1950’s

The Salem Witchcraft Trials David Tenier’s painting, the Witches Sabbath (1650)

The Salem Witchcraft Trials Witchcraft & The Spanish Inquisition The idea of sorcery or witchcraft predates written history The first organized movement against those supposedly allied with Satan was the Spanish Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition was established by papal decree during the early 13th Century. During the 15th Century the Spanish Inquisition tried and executed thousands of alleged witches for their supposed heretical practices and beliefs.

The Salem Witchcraft Trials Witchcraft and The Spanish Inquisition continued A “witch craze” possessed Europe from about 1450 to Thousands of people, mostly women, were executed on the basis of “proofs” or “confessions” of diabolical witchcraft. These confessions or proofs were obtained by means of cruel tortures. The major impetus for this hysteria was a papal bull located in the preface of Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches), a book by two inquisitors translated into many languages.

The Salem Witchcraft Trials Witchcraft Continued In the years of the witch-hunting mania people were encouraged to inform against one another. Professional witch finders identified and tested suspects for evidence of witchcraft and were paid a fee for each conviction. Some methods included “pricking,” witches were supposed to have spots insensitive to pain. Some supposed signs of witchcraft included a third breast, the inability to weep and failure in the water test.

The Salem Witchcraft Trials Salem Witchcraft Trials The last outbreaks of witch-hunting took place in colonial Massachusetts in Twenty people were executed in the wake of the Salem witch trials. These trials took place after a group of young girls became hysterical while playing at magic and it was proposed that they were bewitched. Personal differences ran high in the isolated small community and there were deep divisions between the church and a controversial minister.

McCarthyism, The Communist Witch-Hunt Joseph Raymond McCarthy ( ) McCarthy was elected a Republican Senator in He first attracted national attention in Feb. of 1950 when he claimed the Department of State had been infiltrated by Communists. Joseph Raymond McCarthy

A Modern Day Witch-Hunt? During the next three years he repeatedly accused various high-ranking officials of subversive activities These accusations often ruined lives and careers. None of the accusations were ever substantiated, but McCarthy was popular. After accusing the secretary of the army of concealing foreign espionage activities, the Senate investigated McCarthy and censured him.