The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller that was first produced in 1953, is based on the true story of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Miller wrote the play to parallel the situations in the mid-twentieth century of Alger Hiss, Owen Latimore, Julius and Ethel Rosenburg, and Senator McCarthy, if only suggestively. (Warshow 116) Some characters in the play have specific agendas carried out by their accusations, and the fact that the play is based on historical …showed first 75 words of 1497 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1497 total…greed, vengefulness, and need to cover up for their own actions. The deep involvement of the accusers, especially Abigail, and the lengths they will go to in order to continue their charade make the play absorbing and haunting. Works Cited Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Toronto: Bantam, 1959. Rovere, Richard. 'Arthur Miller's Conscience.' 1957. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. Warshow, Robert. 'The Liberal Conscience in 'The Crucible.' 1962. Ed. Robert W. Corrigan. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1969.