THE CRUCIBLE CONTEXT

The play isn't a perfect allegory for the anti-communism act that was around during the 1960's, neither was it a faithful account of the Salem witchtrials in 1692

In 1692 Massachusetts a small village called Salem was in the mist of a 'witch hunt' as girls fell sick and were hallucinating and fainting due to being 'a subject' of the devil.

In August 1692 19 people and 2 dogs were excecuted due to being 'witches'

Miller wrote the play during the ascendancy of Senator Joesph McCarthy - a Demagogue who's anti-communist act ruined people who were accussed lives.

Those who were revealed (this being falsely or legitimatley) as communists saw their carrers ruined and were blacklisted for several years later.

McCarthy conducted highly controversial investigations intended to root out the communist sympathisers in the United States of America.

At the first performance of The Crucible (1953) critics and cast also believed it to be a personal attack on McCarthy and McCarthyism.

Millers commusist friends and actors were often less innocent than the characters written in the Crucible

For the most part, of what we and resarchers are aware of, there weren't any witches in Salem in 1692 - but there were many communist in America in the 1950's.

The play correspondes to what has happend in Salem (1692) but Millers characters are often composites.

In 1692 it is suggested that Proctor was around 60 and Abigail Williams was 11 - Millers story of them having an affair and the theme of sexual jeaousy (creating further dispute in Salem) caused serious controversity.