Rating: 
Summary: The Witch Trials of Salem
Review: Arthur Miller is among the world's greatest play writers in history. This is among his best works. It is great not because it is largely factually accurate, but because it was a courageous statement about a Wisconsin politician causing similar hysteria about communism.
Vendettas and greed for land and money caused neighbors to turn on each other in Salem. These weaknesses in society allowed a collection of teenage girls to hypnotize Salem with their lies. In the end, most of the town ends up being accused of witchery. It was only when the town exhausted their search for potential witches that the hysteria slowed. Recognizing the error of Salem's court, the government was forced to step forward and compensate the families of the deceased.
From a literary standpoint, Miller wrote The Crucible masterfully. Reverrend Parris is the corrupt minister who naturally draws the reader's ire. The groupthink that causes others to follow him is one of the most dangerous elements in society. Many of these elements are very present in today's world with a media that thinks for people. This is truly a literary and theatrical masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Guilty until proven innocent?
Review: Arthur Miller just passed away but left us a legacy from which we can interpret economic and political realities. In this play, a group of women are charged with witchcraft. In order to save their own skins, a few of the young female denizens of Salem denounce others as participants, asserting accusations of spiritual assaults etc... The interesting point here is that we assume that one is guilty until proven innocent. In 17th century Salem, one is guilty until proven innocent. This is both a critique of the fallacies of our perceptions concerning our government and the nature of Christianity. After the fall we are all guilty in a way.
I will skip the communist interpretations as it has been performed ad nauseum. We are entering another witch hunt for terrorists and their allies; either you are with the terrorists or with us. There is a subtext of patriotism that informs guilt. While we are not to the point that we were in the fifties, I don't think we are that far off. Another interesting point, Tituba is characterized as the ringleader. She is from the Carribean and I would presume black. Substitute Arab and it begins to look very plausible. The play works on many levels and is not only a critique of McCarthyism, it is also a critique of our misperceptions and the way in which we perceive.
Rating:
Summary: The Crucible: A jewel for every reader
Review: Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a play in four acts, deals with the witch-craze in Salem in the 17th century. A minister from Salem discovers a group of teenage girls dancing naked around a fire in the woods. As the girls are aware of the fact that they will have to face severe punishment for their action, they claim to have been possessed by evil spirits. This causes a major outcry in the Puritan community of Salem and a court is formed to deal with and investigate the accusations of the girls in further detail.
At first, only a few people are accused of witchcraft but in the course of events over a hundred people are accused of bewitching the girls. Even people with a very good reputation who have never acted against the will of God or the community are sent to prison due to suspicion, gossip or denunciation.
It is clear that in many cases the girls accused people with whom they have had problems or against whom they hold some kind of grievance. Abigail Williams accuses Elizabeth Proctor, her former employer, after having been dismissed from work by her. Abigail was the Proctors' servant but had to leave their house because Elizabeth Proctor suspected her of having an affair with her husband.
Elizabeth Proctor is sent to prison but not hanged immediatley because she is pregnant. As John Proctor tries to come to the rescue of his wife, he himself runs into difficulties because he is suspecting of undermining the court.
Some of the accused avoid execution by "confessing" their pact with the devil but 19 people are hanged. John Proctor refuses to confess a crime he has not committed. However, he changes his decision because of his wife and three children and decides to sign a confession in order to save his life. But he immediately regrets his decision, tears up the confession and is executed.
The Crucible is a very impressive and powerful play. It illustrates the irrationality of the people which is strongly connected with their fears and superstitious beliefs. Miller manages to show that the people really believed that what they did was right and only done to protect a community of god-fearing people.
By reading The Crucible you can learn to understand the point of view and the world of the accusers. You begin to understand that the actions of the Puritans are very logical in their own way. You start to understand the beliefs of the accusers and even develop a kind of sympathy for them and their fears.
On the whole, The Crucible is easy to read and can also be read in one setting. The plot is easy to follow, extremely exciting and keeps you in its grip from the fist to the last line. I believe that The Crucible is hugely recommendable for everyone who is interested in understanding the witch-craze and the point of view of the accusers as well as the accused.
Rating:
Summary: Impressive!
Review: Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a play in four acts, deals with the witch-craze in Salem in the 17th century. A minister from Salem discovers a groups of teenage girls dancing naked around a fire in the woods. As the girls are aware of the fact that they will have to face severe punishment for their action, they claim to have been possessed by evil spirits. This causes a major outcry in the Puritan community of Salem and a court is formed to deal with and investigate the accusations of the girls in further detail.
At first, only a few people are accused of witchcraft but in the course of events over a hundred people are accused of bewitching the girls. Even people with a very good reputation who have never acted against the will of God or the community are sent to prison due to suspicion, gossip or denunciation.
It is clear that in many cases theo girls accuse people with whom they have had some kind of problems or against whom they hold some sort of grievance. Abigail Williams accuses Elizabeth Proctor, her former employer, after having been dismissed from work by Mrs. Proctor. Abigail was the Proctors' servant but had to leave their home because Elizabeth Proctor suspected her of having an affair with her husband.
Elizabeth Proctor is sent to prison but not hanged immediately due to the fact that she is pregnant. As John Proctor tries to come to the rescue of his wife, he himself runs into difficulties because he is suspected of undermining the court.
Some of the accused avoid execution by "confessing" that they have a pact with the devil but 19 people are hanged. John Proctor does not want to confess a crime he has not committed. However, he changes his decision because of his wife and his three children and decides to sign a confession in order to save his life. But he immediately regrets his decision, tears up the confession and is brought to his execution.
The Crucible is a very impressive and powerful play. It illustrates the irrationality of the people which is strongly connected with their fears and superstitious beliefs. Miller manages to show that the people really believed that what they did was right and only done to protect a community of god-fearing people.
By reading The Crucible you can learn to understand the point of view and the world of the accusers. You begin to understand that the actions of the Puritans are very logical in their own way. You start to understand the beliefs of the accusers and even develop a kind of sympathy for them and their fears.
On the whole, The Crucible is easy to read and can also be read in one setting. The plot is easy to follow, extremely exciting and keeps you in its grip from the fist to the last line. I believe that The Crucible is hugely recommendable for everyone who is interested in understanding the witch-craze and the point of view of the accusers as well as the accused.
Rating:
Summary: Frightening Possibilities
Review: As usual, Arthur Miller was in rare form when he wrote "The Crucilble." Although on the surface it is about the Salem Witch Trials, Miller's true inspiration came from the Red Scare that plagued Hollywood in the middle of the twentieth century (and included his pal Elia Kazan). The fact that Miller wove factual history with the hysteria of his day makes "The Crucible" all the more chilling.
Throughout the course of the play, a collection of teenage girls 'confess' to having seen various women and men of the town of Salem with the devil. This hysteria sweeps over the town as even the authorities fall under the sway of these lying young girls. Caught in the middle of these hysteronics is the Proctor family - John and Elizabeth, who have struggled in the past, but are trying to rebuild their marriage. They are rent apart when Elizabeth is suspected of being a witch. John hopes to clear his wife's name, but only manages to make matters worse for both of them.
The hysteria experienced in Salem is chilling in the fact that these sorts of witch hunts occur today, in all different areas of society. "The Crucible" shows how easily people can be swayed, with the barest of evidence, to believe something that is false. Miller's play is extremely well-written and informative, and almost too frighteningly real.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent example of American Drama
Review: The Crucible is Miller's most widely read piece, and perhaps his most important. At the time of its publication, The Crucible served a very important purpose that many readers today don't recognize.
Although it serves as a somewhat accurate (there are somethings left out or modified) representation of some of the key characters in the Salem witch trials, I don't think Miller would have taken the time to write the play had it not been for the status quo of his day. The play was written in the 1950s, during a time of a constant communist scare in America. Out of the communist scare came the House of Un-American Activities Commission. HUAC often interoggated people, and black-listed celebrities based on little or no evidence. One of the key players in the HUAC interoggations was Joseph McCarthy, hence the word "McCarthyism" refers to accusing someone based on insufficient evidence.
Miller wrote The Crucible as a response to what he though was an injustice in the 1950s. Unfortunatly, the theatre production of The Crucible became a financial flop, but The Crucible remains as a landmark of American Drama. Most American Art serves as a symbol to make a statement. The Crucible is a fine example of this tradition.
I'm not going to give you a summary of the story, because I think other reviewers have devled into that enough. The reason I gave the play four stars is because one flaw that Aurthur Miller has in this play, indeed in many of his plays, is the lack of character development. Despite the fact that it is a riviting story, most of the characters are weightless and I don't ever tend to care about them all that much.
The Crucible is still a fine piece of literature, however, both as for its historical significance and for its cultural message.
Rating:
Summary: A Moving and Brilliant Play
Review: The play's main narrative line tells the story of the Salem witch hunts which took place in Massachusetts, 1692. At a deeper level, Miller raises several powerful and important questions about human life and morality. But the play's most amazing quality is that it is not "deep" or "philosophical" by traditional standards. Miller has, in a short and easy-to-read manuscript, opened the door (or maybe I should say he presents the reader with a mirror) to modern political life.The play is essentially a crtique of McCarthyism and the the communist scare of the 1950s. Miller saw the parallels between the witch hunts and the McCarthy trials, and found the witch trials to be a compelling vehicle for discussing modern events. Key themes include: 1. People gaining absolution from the powers-that-be by confessing the sins of others.
2. The power of community rituals, such as confession.
3. The role of political opposition and the consequences of compliance (passive or active).
4. The consequences of a polarized world views and mass hysteria. These are just a few of the themes. The play is quite clearly a great tragedy, but remains a tragedy for our times. Through characters we can connect with, Miller convincingly shows us that the lessons from the witch hunts still apply. As a reader, I am convinced that Miller's play remains relevant and powerful in the twenty-first century. Miller has left me with questions, regarding world events in 2002 and 2003, that I did not have before reading the play. I read this play in only a couple hours. It is compelling, engaging, and difficult to put down. Personally, I feel this text stands a great chance of making it onto my "top ten" list of best manuscripts. I highly recommend this play.
Rating: 
Summary: The Crucible; dont read the introduction.
Review: The subject of witchcraft has always intrigued me. Unfortunately this play did not keep my interest. The biggest reason was because the introduction, written by Christopher Bigsby, gave away the ending of the play. He said that damages were paid to John Proctor's wife Elisabeth after he was executed on August 19,1692. I know the play was for the most part historically accurate. I just didn't understand why he needed to state the anticipated ending of the play on the book on the second page of the book. The rest of the introduction was interesting. I liked how he compared the fear the people in Salem had of witches to the Red Scare. He said the only difference was that communists were real. This analogy helped me to relate the ridiculous fear these people had of withes to something tangible. The play itself was less exciting than I thought it would be. It was a little hard to follow. There were many characters and many things going on at once. I didn't like how there wasn't a single character who you felt like you could relate to. I liked how throughout the play you couldn't help but have a sense of disbelief about what was going on. I was amazed that the people of Salem so easily believed children without proof. It was unbelievable how by simply telling a judge that you saw a person with the devil they were guilty until proven innocent. I gave this play three stars because it was a good story. It wasn't the best book I have ever read, but I think it was more me than the book that was the problem. I would suggest reading the play before reading the introduction.
Rating:
Summary: The Crucible; dont read the introduction.
Review: The subject of witchcraft has always intrigued me. Unfortunately this play did not keep my interest. The biggest reason was because the introduction, written by Christopher Bigsby, gave away the ending of the play. He said that damages were paid to John Proctor's wife Elisabeth after he was executed on August 19,1692. I know the play was for the most part historically accurate. I just didn't understand why he needed to state the anticipated ending of the play on the book on the second page of the book. The rest of the introduction was interesting. I liked how he compared the fear the people in Salem had of witches to the Red Scare. He said the only difference was that communists were real. This analogy helped me to relate the ridiculous fear these people had of withes to something tangible. The play itself was less exciting than I thought it would be. It was a little hard to follow. There were many characters and many things going on at once. I didn't like how there wasn't a single character who you felt like you could relate to. I liked how throughout the play you couldn't help but have a sense of disbelief about what was going on. I was amazed that the people of Salem so easily believed children without proof. It was unbelievable how by simply telling a judge that you saw a person with the devil they were guilty until proven innocent. I gave this play three stars because it was a good story. It wasn't the best book I have ever read, but I think it was more me than the book that was the problem. I would suggest reading the play before reading the introduction.
Rating:
Summary: Mass hysteria, chaos, paranoia and manipulation 101
Review: What is really unfortunate to the mesmerizing Arthur Miller's play"The Crucible" is that is was written after his "Death of a Salesman". Hadn't the play writer written "Death...", "The Crucible" would certainly be regarded as his unique masterpiece -- however, I believe the honor must be shared-- which is not that bad for readers and audiences.
Performed for the first time in 1953, "The Crucible" is loosely based on the famous Salem witchcraft trials that happened in 1962. Miller used the actual even as an inspiration to create a fable that resonated in his time's politics -- which was called the witch hunting. The play was written in response to Senator McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee's crusade against supposed communist sympathizers. Despite the changes, as Miller states in a prose prologue to the play, his objective is to "the reader will discover (...) the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history".
At the end of the play, one can be sure that the writer achieved his aim. "The Crucible" paints with the right paints a portray of mass hysteria, paranoia, chaos and manipulation. What's more, it achieves a higher level when it manages to deal with the 50s politics -- which happened to be touched by mass hysteria, chaos and manipulation as well.
As a whole, the symbolism in the play is the paranoia about communism that pervaded the United States in the 1950s. with his text, Miller managed to bring up several parallels between the House Un-American Activities Committee's rooting out of suspected communists during this time and the seventeenth-century witch-hunt. In both cases, the narrow-mindedness and the excess of zeal ended up blinding people. Like in Salem, the communists were encouraged to name names and confess their `crimes'.
In "The Crucible", Miller's concern is not to with the fact that the accused are witches or not -- but rather with the unwillingness of the court to believe they are not. In this case, in the McCarthyism era, so full of excess, many innocents were condemned, and this parallel is what resonates from Miller's words even more than 50 years later.
Miller vaguely based his characters in the actual ones, but in his prologue, as a disclaimer, he alleges that he was forced to make many changes. Abigail's age for instance was raised, the judges were symbolized by only two etc. But, as he explains, this is not a historical work.
One of the most impressive points in the play is the theocratic society --where church and state are one, and the only allowed form of religion in Salem is the Puritanism. The witch trials represent the expression of intolerance --while the hanging is the means of restoring the purity of the community. On the other hand, hysteria plays the role of tearing this society apart. It supplants logic and people start to believe that people they have always known are not what they believed to be. Abigail is the character that has an important role triggering this hysteria, since she wants to marry John Proctor, and for that must get rid of his wife. Others simply use her device --while others fall into her trap. In the end, the community is into pieces.
As one of the characters says that was `a strange time'. So was when Miller wrote his play -- and so is today. That is why Miller's "The Crucible" is such a timeless piece. Reading this play --opposed to watching it performed -- is an enhancing experience. Many of the writer's digressions are not in the stage -- that's why reading this book is a complementary homework for those who have already seen it performed or in the 1996 movie version.
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