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The Crucible
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Set in Salem in 1692, Arthur Miller's classic The Crucible brings to life "one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history." Based on the historic witch-hunts and trials of seventeenth-century new England, Miller's drama presents 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 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 nearly fifty years ago, The Crucible was originally seen as a mirror reflecting the anti-Communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch-hunts." But the play's enduring vitality owes little to the political and social context in which it was conceived. It stands instead as a classic study of the seductions of power and as powerful testimony of the courage with which some men and women can challenge the ruling orthodoxy.
Now, Arthur Miller's most powerful work is back on Broadway in an acclaimed new production starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney and directed by Richard Eyre, who contributes an insightful Foreward to this new edition. "Like a timeless myth," he writes, "The Crucible thrives across the boundaries of history and geography, culture and race, a story that is accessible as much in Lagos and Beijing as in Los Angeles and New York."
(front flap)
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 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 nearly fifty years ago, The Crucible was originally seen as a mirror reflecting the anti-Communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch-hunts." But the play's enduring vitality owes little to the political and social context in which it was conceived. It stands instead as a classic study of the seductions of power and as powerful testimony of the courage with which some men and women can challenge the ruling orthodoxy.
Now, Arthur Miller's most powerful work is back on Broadway in an acclaimed new production starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney and directed by Richard Eyre, who contributes an insightful Foreward to this new edition. "Like a timeless myth," he writes, "The Crucible thrives across the boundaries of history and geography, culture and race, a story that is accessible as much in Lagos and Beijing as in Los Angeles and New York."
(front flap)
163 pages, Hardcover
First published January 22,1953
This edition
- Format
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163 pages, Hardcover
- Published
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January 29, 2002 by Penguin Books (US/CAN)
- ISBN
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9780142000991
- ASIN
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014200099X
- Language
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English
Characters More characters
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Rev. Parris
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Tituba
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Abigail Williams
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John Proctor
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Giles Corey
Accused of wizardry in 1692. Famously cried for "moere weight" rather than identify others as witches or wizards.more...
About the author
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Works of American playwright Arthur Asher Miller include Death of a Salesman (1949), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and The Crucible (1953).
This essayist, a prominent figure in literature and cinema for over 61 years, composed a wide variety, such as celebrated A View from the Bridge and All My Sons, still studied and performed worldwide. Miller often in the public eye most famously refused to give evidence to the un-American activities committee of the House of Representatives, received award for drama, and married Marilyn Monroe. People at the time considered the greatest Miller.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_...
This essayist, a prominent figure in literature and cinema for over 61 years, composed a wide variety, such as celebrated A View from the Bridge and All My Sons, still studied and performed worldwide. Miller often in the public eye most famously refused to give evidence to the un-American activities committee of the House of Representatives, received award for drama, and married Marilyn Monroe. People at the time considered the greatest Miller.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_...
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