Read complete books and articles on: The Crucible

Miller, Arthur - 1915–, American dramatist, b. New York City, grad. Univ. of Michigan, 1938. Miller's plays are concerned with morality and the pressures exerted on people by family and society. His masterpiece, Death of a Salesman (1949; Pulitzer Prize), is the story of a salesman betrayed by his own hollow values and those of American society. The Crucible (1953) is both a dynamic

7 of the Best Books and Articles on: The Crucible

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

Preface to Drama: An Introduction to Dramatic Literature and Theater Art (Chap. VIII Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible") » Read Now
by Charles W. Cooper. 776 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

...John Gassner 632 VIII THE CRUCIBLE--AN HISTORICAL PLAY BY ARTHUR MILLER...Introductory Note to Arthur Miller and The Crucible 636 THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller 639...
2.

The Crucible (literary criticism) » Read Now
by Harold Bloom. 194 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

"I believe that the reader will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history", Arthur Miller wrote in an introduction to The Crucible, his classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. Based on...
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"I believe that the reader will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history", Arthur Miller wrote in an introduction to The Crucible, his classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. Based on historical people and real events, Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions; and when a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, self-righteous church leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial. The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor brilliantly illuminate the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence. Written in 1953, The Crucible is a mirror Miller uses to reflect the anti-communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch-hunts" in the United States. Within the text itself, Miller contemplates the parallels, writing "Political opposition...is given an inhumane overlay, which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized behavior. A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence".
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3.

Understanding The Crucible: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents » Read Now
by Claudia Durst Johnson. 244 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

Ideal for student research and class discussion, this interdisciplinary casebook provides a rich variety of primary historical documents and commentary on The Crucible within the context of two relevant historical periods: the Salem witch trials of 1692 and the "Red Scare" of the 1950s, when the...
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Ideal for student research and class discussion, this interdisciplinary casebook provides a rich variety of primary historical documents and commentary on The Crucible within the context of two relevant historical periods: the Salem witch trials of 1692 and the "Red Scare" of the 1950s, when the play was written. The play is a testimony to the inherent dangers Miller sees in any community seized by hysteria. The Salem witch-hunts, which Miller uses to illustrate such a community, were echoed more than 250 years later in the hunt for subversives during the "Red Scare" of the 1950s. The authors provide literary and dramatic analysis of the play, comprehensive historical background, relevant documents of the periods, and questions and projects to help students in their understanding of The Crucible and the issues it raises.
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4.

Babylonian Confusion and Biblical Inversion in Miller's The Crucible, in Journal of Evolutionary Psychology » Read Now
by Frank Ardolino. 8 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

...and biblical inversion in Millers The Crucible by Frank Ardolino Criticism of Arthur Millers The Crucible has focused on seven related areas...Moreover, Robert Hogan...
5.

Student Companion to Arthur Miller (Chap. 7 "House Un-American Activities Committee: The Crucible") » Read Now
by Susan C. W. Abbotson. 174 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

This critical introduction to Arthur Miller provides an indispensable aid for students and general readers to understand the depth and complexity of some of America's most important dramatic works. Beginning with a discussion of his life, this work traces not only Miller's theatrical career, but his...
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This critical introduction to Arthur Miller provides an indispensable aid for students and general readers to understand the depth and complexity of some of America's most important dramatic works. Beginning with a discussion of his life, this work traces not only Miller's theatrical career, but his formulative experiences with the Great Depression, the Holocaust, and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Detailed discussions of eight important plays are organized around the social and moral themes Miller derived from such events; these themes are evident in in such works as Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, and All My Sons. By placing Miller within the context of his times, this discussion reveals how he was influenced by and reacted to the major events in his own life and in American culture. Analysis of his more recent works such as The American Clock, Broken Glass and The Ride Down Mt. Morgan illustrate the consistency of Miller's strong moral vision, and his continuing innovative contributions to American theatre.
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6.

Arthur Miller ("History and Other Spectres in The Crucible" p. 127) » Read Now
by Harold Bloom. 157 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

-- Brings together the best criticism on the most widely read poets, novelists, and playwrights
-- Presents complex critical portraits of the most influential writers in the English-speaking world -- from the English medievalists to contemporary writers
7.

Playwright Versus Director: Authorial Intentions and Performance Interpretations (discussion of The Crucible begins on p. 96) » Read Now
by Jeane Luere, Sidney Berger. 180 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

Giving equal space to the sanctity of script and the artistic freedom of directors, this book addresses the difficulties encountered by playwrights and directors as they bring a script to the stage. Inspired directors can help a writer of genius turn his play into exciting theatre, but playwrights...
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Giving equal space to the sanctity of script and the artistic freedom of directors, this book addresses the difficulties encountered by playwrights and directors as they bring a script to the stage. Inspired directors can help a writer of genius turn his play into exciting theatre, but playwrights find that giving directors leeway to interpret and modify "text" can result in directors' overriding authorial intentions. This book presents the best that has been written by literary theorists on the current definitions of "text" and attempts to depart from quick rule-of-thumb assessments of the problem.
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