Question

Arthur Miller has the character of John Proctor say this to show how illogical the witch trials were being conducted. How is this an allegory?

Answer 1

John Proctor's character in Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' serves as an allegory for the McCarthy era's anti-Communist hysteria, using the Salem Witch Trials to draw parallels between historical and contemporary instances of mass hysteria and illogical reasoning.

Step-by-step explanation:

Arthur Miller's character John Proctor in The Crucible exemplifies the illogical nature of the witch trials, and this serves as an allegory for the anti-Communist hysteria during the McCarthy era.

Miller's play shows how individuals who demanded evidence before condemning others were often themselves accused, which parallels the tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy's reckless and baseless persecution of supposed Communists. Miller utilises the Salem Witch Trials as a metaphor for the Cold War fear-mongering to highlight the dangers of such illogical reasoning and the consequences of mass hysteria, which leads to the crucible effect where dissent is equated to treachery.