1. THE CRUCIBLE BY
ARTHUR MILLER

2. AUTHOR Born and raised in Harlem, NY
Not a good student and failed many classes in high school
Developed a love of reading and went on to attend the University of Michigan
Wrote several plays while he was in college

3. AUTHOR 1947 – ALL MY SONS (EARNED HIM MANY AWARDS)
1949 – DEATH OF A SALESMAN – PULITZER PRIZE
1953 – THE CRUCIBLE (REFLECTED THE ANTI-COMMUNISM HYSTERIA OF THE TIMES
1956 – MARRIED MARILYN MONROE

4. DRAMA THE CRUCIBLE IS A FOUR-ACT PLAY
EXPOSITION – WE LEARN BACKGROUND INFORMATION THROUGH DIALOGUE AND INSERTS FROM THE AUTHOR.

5. TRUE STORY SETTING – SALEM, MASS. IN 1692
PURITANS WERE ATTEMPTING TO PURIFY THE CHURCH FROM WITHIN.
THEOCRACY – GOD IS THE HEAD OF STATE AND RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES RULE THE STATE AS GOD’S REPRESENTATIVES.

6. TRUE STORY 20 PEOPLE WERE EXECUTED AS SLAVES IN THE 1690’S.
THE PURITANS WERE ATTEMPTING TO RID THE COMMUNITY OF EVIL BY ELIMINATING PEOPLE FOR COLLUSION WITH THE DEVIL.

7. CRUCIBLE
A SEVERE TEST
A HEAT-RESISTANT CONTAINER IN WHICH MATERIAL CAN BE SUBJECTED TO EXTREME HEAT

8. PURITANS BELIEVED
THE DOCTRINE OF THE ELECT – PEOPLE WERE FATED FROM BIRTH TO BE AMONG THE ELECT AND SAVED OR AMONG THE DAMNED AND DOOMED
MAN WAS INHERENTLY EVIL BECAUSE OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE

9. PURITANS BELIEVED
THE DEVIL LURKED IN UNEXPLORED PLACES (THE FORESTS, THE WILDERNESS)
ALL UNNATURAL OCCURRENCES ARE ATTRIBUTED TO WITCHES, WHO ARE AGENTS OF THE DEVIL

10. Subjects for Possible TOPICS for themes
GUILT
REVENGE
PRIDE
INTOLERANCE
AUTHORITY
INTEGRITY
***To find the theme ask, “What does this play say about (topic)?