Select A Store
Select Store
My Store:
Select A Store
Overview
Overview
A haunting examination of groupthink and mass hysteria in a rural community The place is Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, an enclave of rigid piety huddled on the edge of a wilderness. Its inhabitants believe unquestioningly in their own sanctity. But in Arthur Miller's edgy masterpiece, that very belief will have poisonous consequences when a vengeful teenager accuses a rival of witchcraft--and then when those accusations multiply to consume the entire village. First produced in 1953, at a time when America was convulsed by a new epidemic of witch-hunting, The Crucible brilliantly explores the threshold between individual guilt and mass hysteria, personal spite and collective evil. It is a play that is not only relentlessly suspenseful and vastly moving but that compels readers to fathom their hearts and consciences in ways that only the greatest theater ever can. "A drama of emotional power and impact" --New York Post
- Format: TradePaperback
- Author: Miller, Arthur
- ISBN: 9780140481389
- Condition: Used
- Dimensions: 7.96 x 0.30
- Number Of Pages: 160
- Publication Year: 1976
Customer Reviews
Rating Snapshot
5 ★
20%
4 ★
80%
3 ★
0%
2 ★
0%
1 ★
0%
5 Ratings
0
0% Would Recommend
0 Recommendations
Review Images
Sort by:
-
Hysteria goes systemic.
Kimberly Q. - 1 year 11 months agoThe Crucible is a play by 20th-century playwright Arthur Miller and is a semi-historical account of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 in colonial Massachusetts. The play opens with the town clergyman, Samuel Parris, concerned as his daughter, Betty, appears sick and on the brink of death. It quickly comes out that she has been dancing in the woods with Tituba, a Caribbean-born slave, and others of the town's young women. As the practice of dancing (as well as most other activities we would consider fun today) was considered heretical by the ultra-dogmatic Puritans of 17th century New England, this revelation leads the townspeople to begin suggesting the possibility of witchcraft as the cause of her illness. What follows is the tragic unfolding of accusations, denials, and false confessions of devil worship that end with the executions of over a dozen innocent men and women. The play itself was written as a metaphor for what Miller considered contemporary witch hunts during the Red Scare, when any American accused of being a communist would see his or her career ruined, regardless of the veracity of the accusations. It has become a classic of American dramatic literature and reminds the reader of the human toll that can be taken by rampant and unsubstantiated fear on a societal level.
HPB Staff Review -
Fascinating
Mitchell D. - 5 years 5 months agoI was assigned this book for class and was slightly interested, but not truly drawn in. However, this changed when my teacher explained the witch trials of the book are an allegory for the red scare of post WWII America. I found this to be fascinating and the dialogue throughout the book was genius. Arthur Miller perfectly portrays this time period while also touching on the underlying themes! #SpringPicks
-
Crucible Review
Adelia B. - 6 years agoOf all the books I was required to read while I was in high school, I was most grateful for this one. The discussion on morality, religion, and "herd mentality" all combined the with relation to the communist hysteria of the 50s are all what make this play one of my favorite classics. From my perspective, I prefer to read books with such social commentary because it creates another layer of complexities to consider as a reader. #BannedBook
-
Thoughtful, open-ended, and relevant
Michelle d. - 6 years 3 months ago"The Crucible" keeps getting assigned in classes I have taken throughout high school and college, but I can't say that I am mad about it. Miller is one of my personal favorite playwrights and "The Crucible" is my second favorite of his plays (just behind "Death of a Salesman"). It is a play that will make people think, and, unlike Bernard Shaw, Miller takes a more open-ended approach, leaving it up to the performer or reader to decide if there was ever any real witches in Salem. He poses questions of religion and what makes a person "good". Proctor is our antihero who is really trying his best not to let other people's paranoia get the best of him, and the reader learns to respect him despite his human errancy. I look forward for when I have to read this play again. This book is good for middle schoolers and up. I would highly encourage watching it performed as well. #SummerReading
-
Revolves around Salem Witch Trials
Bethany P. - 6 years 4 months agoI picked this play up on a bored whim during spring break and could not put it down! Miller does such a great job bringing this period to life. Definitely recommend and can’t wait to read more by him.