The Genius Of “The Crucible”

The Crucible Poster

On the 22nd of January 1954, Arthur Miller‘s play “The Crucible” premiered at the Martin Beck theatre in New York City. Ostensibly, the piece was a dramatisation of the infamous Salem Witch Trials, and uses the names of actual people from historical records. It’s a rip-roaring work, filled with intense human drama; unrequited love, adultery, religious fervour and blatant, brutal injustice, all set against the haunting backdrop of 17th-century Massachusetts.

However, the piece also served as a brilliant, abstract condemnation of the paranoia of the McCarthy-era US. Miller himself was brought before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, the Joseph McCarthy-led group which investigated alleged ties to the Communist party. The US’ fear of “Reds Under The Bed” had generated the preposterous idea that Communism could somehow attack and assimilate the culture from within. The retaliatory actions that this generated seemed to exclude few. Luminaries such as Charlie Chaplin, Burgess Meredith and Orson Welles were investigated and encouraged to give up any contemporaries with alleged Commie leanings.

As the McCarthy Committee turned into little more than a witchhunt, Miller decided to write a play that would demonstrate the futility and injustice of such investigations – a play about the most famous Witchhunt ever, the Salem Trials.

In the play, the instigator of the trouble is Abigail Williams. A young teenager, she is infatuated with her married neighbour, John Proctor. Though they have had an affair in the past, Proctor

Joseph McCarthy

has realised the error of his ways and now wants nothing to do with the petulant girl. When Abigail and her friends are seen taking part in strange activities in the woods near the village, fears of witchcraft spread through the village. Abigail and her friends soon discover, however, that they can avoid repercussions by claiming they have been misled, and now want Jesus back in their hearts. They also discover that they can accuse others of consorting with the devil, destroying their lives and reputations without the need for any physical evidence whatsoever. The story concludes with a series of hangings, as the town becomes lost utterly to hysteria.

Though the story was written over a century ago, and created as a reaction to a contemporary event, it still resonates today. Miller’s genius was to create a work that was hugely critical of the injustices he saw around him, but also cut to the core of why those injustices become manifest at all in human nature. Abigail is a truly frightening creation; her adolescent fears and selfishness are loosed on society, respected because they are dressed up in the vernacular of piety. Her adept use of religious language allows her to abdicate responsibility for her childish actions; “I am but God’s finger, John”.

Bosch

Abigail’s actions don’t even represent some form of anarchic assault on democracy; rather, they are founded completely in her own vindictive nature. She’s the ultimate spoilt brat, a Jerry Springer horror who gets her way no matter what. With this character, Miller exposes the true nature of so much religious fervour and moral hyperbole – it’s almost all a scam, driven by fear and personal desires. Abigail’s youthful vacillations are even more destructive than those of the murderous children in Golding’s “Lord Of The Flies“, because she has managed to infect elders and social pillars with her vitriol. Trial By Jury, Habeus Corpus, all standard democratic legal procedure goes out the window because of  a horny teenager.

The story also illuminates beautifully the worldview of people in the 17th Century. In those days, there was little difference between the real world and that of the supernatural. Indeed, the veil between the two could fall away regularly. Demons like those of Hieronymus Bosch stalked the Earth, seeking souls to steal away. We seem to have come a long way since then; and yet, if you take a look at modern trends, such as that of self-help books like “The Secret“, we see ideas such as “The Law Of Attraction” – which is arguably just as real as any demons or angels. And yet, the fact remains that these avatars, these demons and intangible powers have yet consistent real-world effects in terms of how they are used and interpreted by people. Abigail uses imaginary demons to get John Proctor. Joseph McCarthy used them to attack a supposed Communist plot. Hunter S. Thompson used imaginary demons (chasing him across the Nevada desert) to illustrate his own nihilistic American Dream. The Bush Administration used imaginary demons (in the form of Weapons of Mass Destruction) to justify a war that continues today.

Miller seems to be asking us: In three centuries, have we really come that far?

f

In this scene from the excellent 1996 film version, John Proctor, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, must decide whether or not to sign his name to a confession of witchcraft:

f

f

f

This video of  the always-brilliant Stephen Colbert shows the reality behind many people’s religious bluster and their insistence on keeping religion a part of business, law and education:

f