History Theatre / TheCrucible

One night, a group of girls led by one Abigail Williams sneaks out into the woods to engage in witchcraft. The girls are caught in the act, and when one goes into shock after the whole ordeal, Abigail is cornered. To save herself, she blames Reverend Samuel Parris' slave Tituba for perpetrating the acts, leading to Tituba in turn blaming a bunch of townspeople in order to save her own skin after she catches on to Abigail's ruse. Soon, [[MaliciousSlander every girl accuses somebody she dislikes, claiming she saw them with Satan]]. The Reverend John Hale, Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, and Judge John Hathorne, all highly respected figures in Massachusetts, are called on to purge the evil of Satan from the town by trying those indicted for the crimes.

''The Crucible'' was written in response to the activities of Senator UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy, who became notorious for his excessive zeal in rooting out alleged communist sympathizers. Miller {{lampshade|hanging}}s the irony in the fact that [[BlackAndWhiteMorality the dichotomy between good and evil]], throughout history, transcends religion and manifests itself into various ideas, including the RedScare. Miller said that he had no doubt that some people practiced witchcraft in Salem; however, much like the fear of communism, [[PropagandaMachine mass hysteria was perpetuated through propaganda]] and turned into something worse than what it really was.

One night, a group of girls led by one Abigail Williams sneaks out into the woods to engage in witchcraft. The girls are caught in the act, and when one goes into shock after the whole ordeal, Abigail is cornered. To save herself, she blames Reverend Samuel Parris' slave Tituba for perpetrating the acts, leading to Tituba in turn blaming a bunch of townspeople in order to save her own skin after she catches on to Abigail's ruse. Soon, [[MaliciousSlander every girl accuses somebody she dislikes, claiming she saw them with Satan]]. Deputy Governor Danforth, Reverend John Hale, and Judge Hathorne, all highly respected figures in Massachusetts, are called on to purge the evil of Satan from the town by trying those indicted for the crimes.

One night, a group of girls led by one Abigail Williams sneaks out into the woods to engage in witchcraft. The girls are caught in the act, and when one goes into shock after the whole ordeal, Abigail is cornered. To save herself, she blames Reverend Samuel Parris' slave Tituba for perpetrating the acts, leading to Tituba in turn blaming a bunch of townspeople in order to save her own skin after she catches on to Abigail's ruse. Soon, [[MaliciousSlander every girl accuses somebody she dislikes, claiming she saw them with Satan]]. Deputy Governor Danforth, Reverend John Hale, and Judge Hathorne, all of whom are respected men in Massachusetts, are called to try those indicted for committing the crimes and thereby purge the evil of Satan from within the town.

One night, a group of girls led by one Abigail Williams sneaks out into the woods to engage in witchcraft. The girls are caught in the act, and when one goes into shock after the whole ordeal, Abigail is cornered. To save herself, she blames Reverend Samuel Parris' slave Tituba for perpetrating the acts, leading Tituba to in turn blame a bunch of townspeople in order to save her own skin after she catches on to Abigail's ruse. Soon, [[MaliciousSlander every girl blames someone she dislikes, claiming she saw them with Satan]]. Deputy Governor Danforth, Reverend John Hale, and Judge Hathorne, all of whom are respected men in Massachusetts, are called to try those indicted for committing the crimes and to purge the evil of Satan within the town.

''The Crucible'' was written in response to the activities of Senator UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy, who became notorious for his excessive zeal in rooting out alleged communist sympathizers. Miller {{lampshade|hanging}}s the irony in the fact that [[BlackAndWhiteMorality the dichotomy between good and evil]], throughout history, transcends religion and manifests itself into various ideas, including the RedScare. Miller said that he had no doubt that people practiced witchcraft in Salem; however, much like the fear of communism, [[PropagandaMachine mass hysteria was perpetuated through propaganda]] and turned into something worse than what it really was.

''The Crucible'' received two film adaptations: a Franco-East German adaptation in 1957, and an American adaptation in 1996, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Creator/DanielDayLewis, Creator/WinonaRyder, Creator/PaulScofield, Creator/JoanAllen, Creator/BruceDavison, and Creator/JeffreyJones. The 1996 film had an adapted screenplay by Miller himself, which received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination; Joan Allen's role as Elizabeth Proctor also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Despite its star power and $25 million budget, it was an extreme disappointment at the box office, only recouping $7.3 million.

* TheBadGuyWins: {{Subverted|Trope}}. Yes, [[spoiler:Abigail does get away at the end but she doesn't get what she wanted since Proctor is hanged while Elizabeth is eventually spared]], and if you read the epilogue "Echoes Down the Corridor", you'll find out that [[spoiler:Abigail eventually turned to prostitution; it's safe to guess that that wasn't a real 100% pure victory.]]

* PyrrhicVillainy: Abigail's plot to [[spoiler:MurderTheHypotenuse backfires; she ends up condemning Proctor and Elizabeth, and runs away, to become a nameless prostitute. Ironically, Elizabeth survives the events due to carrying a child, and the witch trials ending before she can be executed. Not to mention that in real life, Salem was permanently dogged by its reputation as a WitchHunt town. Ruth Putnam was more or less excommunicated for her part as an accuser, suffered poor health, had to raise all of her siblings after her parents died, and had to make a public confession of forgiveness to be welcomed back into the church]].

The play is a semi-fictionalized account of the [[SalemisWitchCountry Witch Trials of 1692–93 in Salem, Massachusetts]], although Miller takes real people and puts them alongside his own fictitious characters, both [[RuleOfDrama for dramatic purposes]] and because little is known of the actual personalities involved.

One night, some girls, led by Abigail Williams, sneak out into the woods to engage in witchcraft. The girls are caught in the act, and when one goes into shock after the whole ordeal, Abigail is cornered; to save herself, she blames Reverend Samuel Parris' slave, Tituba, for perpetrating the acts. Tituba catches on to Abigail's ruse and blames a bunch of townspeople in order to save her own skin. Soon, [[MaliciousSlander every girl blames someone she dislikes, claiming she saw Satan]]. Deputy Governor Danforth, Reverend John Hale, and Judge Hathorne, all of whom are respected men in Massachusetts, are called to try those indicted for committing the crimes and to purge the evil of Satan within the town.

''The Crucible'' was written in response to the activities of Senator UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy, who became notorious for his excessive zeal in rooting out alleged communist sympathizers. Miller {{lampshade|hanging}}s the irony in the fact that [[BlackAndWhiteMorality the dichotomy between good and evil]], throughout history, transcends religion and manifests itself into various ideas, including the RedScare.

Miller said that he had no doubt that people practiced witchcraft in Salem; however, much like the fear of communism, [[PropagandaMachine mass hysteria was perpetuated through propaganda]] and turned into something worse than what it really was.

''The Crucible'' was written in response to the activities of Senator UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy, who became notorious for his excessive zeal in rooting out alleged communist sympathizers. Miller [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the irony in the fact that [[BlackAndWhiteMorality the dichotomy between good and evil]], throughout history, transcends religion and manifests itself into various ideas, including the {{Red Scare}}.

One night, some girls, led by Abigail Williams, sneak out into the woods to engage in witchcraft. The girls are caught in the act, and when one goes into shock after the whole ordeal, Abigail is cornered; she, consequently, blames Reverend Samuel Parris' slave, Tituba, for perpetrating the acts. Tituba catches on to Abigail's ruse and blames a bunch of townspeople in order to save her own skin. Soon, [[MaliciousSlander every girl blames someone she dislikes, claiming she saw Satan]]. Deputy Governor Danforth, Reverend John Hale, and Judge Hathorne, all of whom are respected men in Massachusetts, are called to try those indicted for committing the crimes and to purge the evil of Satan within the town.

The play is a semi-fictionalized account of the [[SalemisWitchCountry Salem Witch Trials of 1692–93 in Massachusetts]], although Miller takes real people and puts them alongside his own fictitious characters, both [[RuleOfDrama for dramatic purposes]] and because little is known of the actual personalities involved.

The play is a semi-fictionalized account of the [[SalemisWitchCountry Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93 in Massachusetts]], although Miller takes real people and puts them alongside his own fictitious characters, both [[RuleOfDrama for dramatic purposes]] and because little is known of the actual personalities involved.

* AdultFear: At a young age, Abigail had to watch her own parents being killed in front of her.

* FlatCharacter: John Proctor's wife Elizabeth is pretty much a generic self-righteous woman who stays faithful to John. She never really does anything major in the story.

''The Crucible'' was written in response to the activities of Senator Joseph [=McCarthy=], who became notorious for his excessive zeal in rooting out alleged communist sympathizers. Miller [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the irony in the fact that [[BlackAndWhiteMorality the dichotomy between good and evil]], throughout history, transcends religion and manifests itself into various ideas, including the {{Red Scare}}.

''The Crucible'' is a play written by Creator/ArthurMiller and published in 1953. It is Miller's best-known play after ''Theatre/DeathOfASalesman'', and like it is regarded as one of the greatest American plays of the 20th century.

The play is a semi-fictionalized account of the [[SalemisWitchCountry Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93 in Massachusetts]], although Miller takes real people and puts them alongside his own fictitious characters [[RuleOfDrama for dramatic purposes]] and because not much is known of the actual personalities involved.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/32d01adadb78de39d28f2ab7f57085e6.jpg]]

''The Crucible'' is a play by Creator/ArthurMiller that was published in 1953. It and ''Theatre/DeathOfASalesman'' are easily Miller's most well-known plays and are both regarded as some of the most classic plays of the 20th century.

In Salem, the villagers' way of life is deeply rooted in [[NewEnglandPuritan Puritan ideals]], and the townspeople firmly hold to the conviction that anyone who opposes them is Satanic and must be purged of the devil. Ironically, [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis the same Puritans who escaped religious persecution in England enforce it here]].

* DefiniteArticleTitle: The title of the play is ''The Crucible''.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Proctor, Martha, and Rebecca are hanged, Giles is pressed to death, and their loved ones are left behind. Tituba, Sarah Good, and Mary are driven to madness. Hale fails to save a single life and blames himself for each one taken, and Abigail, who caused the whole mess in the first place, [[KarmaHoudini gets away with everything though she becomes a prostitute and dies before she turns eighteen]]]].

* HangingAround: There is a series of [[PublicExecution Public Executions]] in which the crowd is at first excited and later miserable after so many have died because of the witch trials.

** [[spoiler:Giles]] ([[FamousLastWords "More weight!"]]). This happened in real life, too.

''The Crucible'' received two film adaptations: a Franco-East German adaptation in 1957, and an American adaptation in 1996. The latter had an adapted screenplay by Miller himself which received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination; Joan Allen's role as Elizabeth Proctor also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Despite its $25 million budget, it was an extreme disappointment at the box office, only recouping $7.3 million.

* InfantImmortality: The court can't legally hang a pregnant Elizabeth until she has her baby.

* TheBadGuyWins: {{Subverted|Trope}}. Yes, [[spoiler:Abigail does get away at the end]], but if you read the epilogue "Echoes Down the Corridor", you'll find out that [[spoiler:Abigail eventually turned to prostitution, and it's safe to guess that that wasn't a real 100% pure victory.]]

One night, some girls, led by Abigail Williams, sneak out into the woods to engage in witchcraft. The girls are caught in the act, and when one goes into shock after the whole ordeal, Abigail is cornered; she, consequently, blames Reverend Samuel Parris' slave, Tituba, for perpetrating the acts. Tituba catches on to Abigail's ruse and blames a bunch of townspeople in order to save her own skin. Soon, [[MaliciousSlander every girl blames someone she dislikes, claiming she saw Satan]]. Deputy Governor Danforth, Reverend John Hale, and Judge Hathorne, all of whom are respected men in Massachusetts, are called to try those indited for committing the crimes and to purge the evil of Satan within the town.

''The Crucible'' was written in response to the activities of Senator Joseph [=McCarthy=], who became notorious for his excessive zeal in rooting out alleged communist sympathizers. Miller [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the irony in the fact that [[BlackAndWhiteMorality the dichotomy between good and evil]], throughout history, transcends religion and manifests itself into various ideas, including the {{red scare}}.

''The Crucible'' received two film adaptations: a Franco-East German adaptation in 1957, and an American adaptation in 1996. The latter had an adapted screenplay by Miller himself which received an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination; Joan Allen's role as Elizabeth Proctor also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Despite having $25 million put into the film, it was an extreme disappointment at the box office, only recouping $7.3 million.

The non-related Korean film, ''Film/{{Silenced}}'', was based off of a novel named ''The Crucible'', which was itself [[ShoutOut titled after]] the Arthur Miller play.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: John Proctor doesn't know Elizabeth is pregnant and neither of them discovers it until she's been in prison for at least three months. In those times, poor nutrition could make one miss a period, and of course pregnancy tests weren't around. People didn't usually discover pregnancy until they were about five months along.
* AntiHero: John Proctor himself, considering he's had many an affair with Abigail and starts off the play as a jerkass.
* ArtisticLicenseHistory: At the very beginning of the screenplay, there is a disclaimer that Miller changed things around and dismissed several facts from the original events for [[RuleOfDrama dramatic effect]]. For example, Abigail and Proctor are 17 and 35 in the story, and had an affair. In reality, Abigail was 12, while Proctor was 60.

** Giles Corey, who had not meant for his questioning his wife's habit for reading books to carry as far as it had.

** Betty Parris begins as this, having been struck ill from the guilt and horror she had witnessed during the rituals, as have some of the other girls. She does not appear again in the play: in real life, she was taken out of Salem to protect her health as the trials progressed.

* BrokenBird: Abigail. She saw her parents murdered right in front of her when she was just a child. After that tragedy, she was raised by her greedy uncle (who just so happened to be the clergy) and was used by a man she was in love with, only to be later told by said man that she was nothing to him. Not to mention that with the rumors of her no longer being a virgin, she would have never been married or hired. So while her actions were inexcusable, you can't help but see why she doesn't care about anybody in town.
* BurnTheWitch: {{Averted|Trope}}. The suspected witches are hanged, which is indeed true for their real life counterparts.

* ChildrenAreInnocent: This is used as a plot point. The children would never lie about who the witches of Salem are, right? Not even if one of them's 17 and wants to be with the main character, and [[spoiler: [[EvilPlan concocts the entire crisis]] in order to [[MurderTheHypotenuse take his wife out of the picture]].]] The reality was even worse: the aforementioned 17 year old was actually ''12'' at that time.
* CompositeCharacter: Thomas Danforth is a mix of several judges present at the trials: William Stoughton, John Richards, Waitstill Winthrop, Samuel Sewall and his real life counterpart.

** Proctor attempts to puncture Abigail's veneer of righteousness by telling Danforth that she and her fellows were found dancing in the woods; a mortified Danforth repeats "dancing" as if Proctor had accused Abigail of murder.[[note]]Ironically, the Puritans were notorious for opposing not only dancing, but ''all'' entertainment-including theater.[[/note]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Proctor, Martha, and Rebecca are hanged, Giles is pressed to death, and their loved ones are left behind. Tituba, Sarah Good and Mary are driven to madness. Hale fails to save a single life and blames himself for each one taken, and Abigail, who caused the whole mess in the first place, [[KarmaHoudini gets away with everything though she becomes a prostitute and dies before she turns eighteen]]]].
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:Giles]], who had stones pressed onto his chest to try and get him to squeal; the only thing he would say was [[DefiantToTheEnd "More weight."]]
* EvilPlan: Abigail plans to use hysteria powered {{Batman Gambit}}s to secure her crush and a powerbase. She loses both through overreaching.

** Abigail is the BigBad, is beautiful and shows disgust for Puritan society while Elizabeth is good, plain, and follows her Puritan beliefs.

* GambitPileup: By the second act, almost everyone in the play is either running some sort of gambit to accuse, protect or profit off someone, and/or accusing someone of doing likewise. The most painful instance: [[spoiler: John Proctor has confessed to adultery to save his wife, but Elizabeth -- having heard a maybe-planted rumor that Abigail planned to accuse John of lechery -- lies to protect John's innocence, not knowing what John had done. It dooms them both.]]

* InsaneTrollLogic: Quite a bit against the people accused of witchcraft. For example, George Jacobs, a decrepit old man who can't walk without sticks, is accused of having enter the girls rooms through their windows. He points out that this is impossible given his health. The court responds by pointing out that ''his spirit'' could have done it. Sadly, this is TruthInTelevision; many people during the Salem Witch Trials, and any witch trial in general, had to contend with insane logic that couldn't be argued with.

* LoopholeAbuse: Giles knows that he will be put to death if he confesses, and that if he pleads innocent, he will not be believed. [[spoiler:Therefore, he refuses to plead at all, knowing that he will die regardless, and that by refusing to plead, his land will not be forfeit, and instead his sons can inherit.]]
* LoveTriangle: Between Abigail, John Proctor, and Elizabeth Proctor. [[spoiler:Tragically it ends with Proctor dead by hanging and Abigail fleeing from town. Elizabeth is the one only left alive in the play, saved from hanging due to her becoming pregnant.]]

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The ritual in the forest is left deliberately vague, intending that the fits of Betty ''may'' have natural causes, or it may not. The presence of Tituba, the chicken blood and the cauldron, as well as the doll, implies that ''some'' kind of ritual magic has been involved (like voodoo, which would fit into Tituba´s Barbados traditions). That said, "ritual magic" in a strict anthropological sense is far from ''real'' fantasy magic. Not that this would stop a bunch of superstitious settlers from going haywire.

** Ann Putnam is renamed to Ruth in the play due to her mother also being named Ann. Hence she becomes a {{he who must not be seen}} because of this despite being one of the more famous accusers. Strangely, Betty Parris' name is unchanged despite Elizabeth Proctor being a main character.[[note]]They do, however, take care to refer to each always as Betty and Elizabeth, respectively.[[/note]]

* GoryDiscretionShot: In the film, the hangings aren't necessarily glorified, but they're not entirely sugarcoated either. Usually, we get a quick cut away right when a body drops, and the only time we see suspended bodies are for quick bursts of time and from obscure angles. The hanging at the end of the film, [[spoiler:Proctor]]'s hanging, has the body dropping out of frame entirely, only showing us a taut rope.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Proctor attempts to puncture Abigail's veneer of righteousness by telling Danforth that she and her fellows were found dancing in the woods; a mortified Danforth repeats "dancing" as if Proctor had accused Abigail of murder.[[note]]Ironically, the Puritans were notorious for opposing not only dancing, but ''all'' entertainment-including theater.[[/note]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Proctor, Martha, and Rebecca are hanged, Giles is pressed to death, and their loved ones are left behind. Tituba, Sarah Good and Mary are driven to madness. Hale fails to save a single life and blames himself for each one taken, and Abigail, who caused the whole mess in the first place, [[KarmaHoudini gets away with everything]]]].