Question

The main message of the crucible

Answer 1

Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' illustrates the dangers of mass hysteria and unjust persecution, drawing parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy era's anti-Communist hysteria, emphasizing the importance of evidence and justice over fear.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main message of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible concerns the dangers of mass hysteria and the consequences of hysteria-driven persecution. The story, set during the Salem Witch Trials, is an allegory for the anti-Communist hysteria of the 1950s, particularly the McCarthy era. Similar to how the Salem Witch Trials led to fear, false accusations, and the destruction of innocent lives, McCarthyism also produced a climate of fear and wrongful persecution.

Miller's play debuted in 1953 and was perceived as an exposure of the parallels between the hysteria of Cold War America and the madness of the seventeenth-century witch trials. His work serves as a caution that sociopolitical hysteria can lead to devastating injustices when fear overtakes reason and fairness. Hence, The Crucible illustrates the importance of relying on evidence and justice rather than succumbing to fear and suspicion.

Answer 2

One of the main messages of "The Crucible" is that mob mentality in any situation, religious or political, leads to thoughtless (and therefore unethical and illogical) actions. In this play, those actions lead to the persecution of innocent people.