THE CRUCIBLE INTRO PROJECT

ARTHUR MILLER

ARTHUR MILLER

• Born in Manhattan in 1915
• Parents were Jewish immigrants
• Family owned manufacturing business
• When business failed they moved to New York

EDUCATION

• Graduated high school and worked multiple jobs
• Saved money for college
• Attended University of Michigan
• Learned to write and worked on plays
• Graduated college and moved back to New York

WORK

• Landed a job as a freelance writer
• 1944: first play which received negative reaction
• 1945: published first novel - "Focus"
• 1947: first play on Broadway - "All My Sons"
• Continued career writing plays

"DEATH OF A SALESMAN"

• Won Pulitzer Prize
• Won Drama Critics Circle Award
• Over 700 performances
• Translated to more than 12 languages
• Made Arthur a millionaire

"THE CRUCIBLE"

• Third major play Miller wrote
• Based on Salem Witch Hunts in the late 17th century
• 3 years later, Miller was called before a judge
• Convicted of contempt of congress for not cooperating

"THE CRUCIBLE"

• Written from post paranoia
• Intolerance
• Major tragedy in normal people's lives
• Drama about Salem Witch Trials

LATER LIFE

• Married for 5 years and divorced Marilyn Monroe
• Later worked on comedies
• One of the most highly regarded, widely performed American playwriting

THE PURITANS

PURPOSE OF COMING TO AMERICA

• Practice religious freedom
• Believed reforms of the Church of England did not go far enough

WHO THEY WERE

• English protestants
• Wanted to practice own religion

RELIGION

• Revolved around Bible
• Free to worship their own way
• Strict Calvanists - followers of John Calvanist
• Humans were depraved sinners

BELIEFS

• Honor obligations to God - they would be blessed
• If they failed - they would be punished

DIFFERENCES

• No organ or other musical instrument in church
• Everything done a Capella
• Puritans were generally families while other migrations were unrelated men

WHAT THEY DID

• Established Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston

SALEM WITCH TRIALS

WHAT HAPPENED

• Young girls claimed possessed by devil
• Accused other women of witchcraft
• Belief in supernatural and devils practice giving witches power to harm others
• Devil receives loyalty in return

WHO

• Bridget Bishop, first convicted witch - hung
• 18 more followed to Salem's Gallows Hill
• 150 men, women and children accused

OTHER CASES

• Ministers daughter and niece
• Violent and screaming outbursts
• Other young girls similar symptoms
• Arrest warrants issued for 3 accused

SYMPTOMS

• Brought before magistrates
• Accusers - screaming, contortions, plus spasms in front of three
• Two denied, one confessed

OTHER

• More accusations - overwhelmed justice system
• New governor ordered a special court to hear and decide on witchcraft cases in three countries
• About 18 were hung or killed

TRIAL RESULTS

• Massachusetts Gen. court declared a day of fasting for tragedy
• Trials deemed unlawful
• Leading justice apologized for
• Story used in Crucible by Arthur Miller

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