The last performances of this famous Arthur Miller play are at 8:00 PM Saturday and 2:00 pm Sunday at the Toledo Repertoire Theater on Tenth St. in downtown Toledo. There is a guarded parking lot. This is really excellent community theater, and very educational.
This play about the Salem withcraft trials is a powerful story. Whenever I heard about Salem and "witch-hunts," I assumed that the religious people were going to come off looking really bad, killing people who were irreligious, "odd" or slightly "occultic."
In fact, it is the genuine Christian people who are martyred for their faith because they will not lie and say they are witches. They are accused by teen girls who pretend to be influenced by these so-called witches. The young girls wanted to avoid punishment for their occultic activities of dancing nude in the woods around a pot of some bubbling brew (not in the play), and trying to conjure up the spirits of the dead with the help of the minister's voodoo-savvy slave from Barbados. The minister's daughter and niece are involved. The minister catches them and one of the girl's quickly inspires mass hysteria among her friends --and they all pretend to be possessed because of the good women in the town whom they name as witches. (or maybe they really WERE possessed because of their own occultic activity! A couple of them did seem to faint or be in a deep sleep and their body temp would cool. Why would that be? We assume there is a motivation to play-act and carry on their mystical experience from the woods --and also protect themselves from charges of witchcraft by blaming others.
The leader of the girls "called out" the wife of a farmer as a witch (the farmer, John Proctor, is the lead character, played well by Heath Huber) She does this because she had a brief affair with the farmer and wants him for herself.
IN the end, the Christians will not lie to save their skins by saying they have served the devil. Death is their sentence.
The judge is the devil personified and played extremely well by a Mr. Byrd. Ultimately, the ministers in the story come around and regret that the teens were believed and responsible for death warrants for so many people. They and the judge want the prisoners to admit their alliances with the devil so they can reverse the death sentences and be justified in the minds of the public --but the Christians will not confess to the lie.
It is sinful girls involved in witchy activities who accuse the good women of the town; it is hypocrites in power who are willing to believe the teens; it is genuine Christians who die, falsely accused.
John Proctor is a man wracked by guilt for his short-lived adultery --and his wife comes to realize that she hadn't believed in his love for her because she was a plain woman, by her self-evaluation. It's sad that her revelation had not come sooner. They come to a place of mutual forgiveness and John Proctor feels worthy of martyrdom in the end.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
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My analysis of The Crucible by Arthur Miller...
It is the rare case indeed when a work of literature’s genesis can be traced to a singular event. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is one of those cases. There is only one reason that this play exists. The Crucible is Arthur Miller’s literary response to what still remains of most intensely disgusting episodes in all of American history.
After defeating the true demon ideology during World War II—fascism—American lawmakers for some reason embraced that very same ideology and began a furious and illegal assault upon those who embraced communism. It was during this dark time that several screenwriters, directors and actors making Hollywood movies were blacklisted simply because they refused to be a rat bastard like their friend Elia Kazan and reveal the names of friends who had attended meetings at which communist policies were discussed to a Congressional committee investigating the wholly legal and American concept of belonging to a political party, in this case the Communist Party. These actors, directors and screenwriters who refused to cave in to pressure and personal fear like Elia Kazan were denied the right to work despite having done nothing illegal.
Because it serves to comment on the historical context of the communist witch hunt while telling the story of the actual Salem witch hunt, therefore, The Crucible is technically an allegory. An allegory is basically a work of literature that tells one story on the surface while referring to another sub textually. Unlike the majority of other allegories, however, Arthur Miller peoples his play with fully fleshed-out three dimensional characters, and not just caricaturized puppets going through the motions.
The Crucible takes place in the historical Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It begins with the image of several teenaged girls dancing in the woods to the accompaniment of chants sung by a black slave. Making matters even worse, one of these girls is spotted dancing naked by none other than Rev. Parris. Being the fundamentalist Christian that he is—you know, full of superstition—he immediately concludes that the only possible explanation for teenage girls living in a repressive atmosphere like Puritan Salem to be in the woods at night dancing is…witchcraft.
After this eventful night, two young girls have fallen ill, including Parris’ own young daughter Betty. Parris sends for Rev. Hale, an expert on witchcraft. Yeah, isn’t that kind of like being an expert on fairies, leprechauns, or Katie Couric? None of those things really exist so, well, you get my meaning. Betty begins screaming amid a roomful of people, raising the hysteria level to the point where Betty and Abigail Williams, who works for Parris, suddenly turn on the one person in the room who looks like a witch.
Yeah, just another case of whitey keeping the black woman down. Poor Tituba gets accused of being a watch on account of being black. (In reality, she was more Native American than African-America.) In order to distract attention from themselves—shades of Elia Kazan—they immediately begin calling out the names of other women in the community who they claim to be witches.
This is a time honored American sport. When the hammer is about to come down on you, shift the blame to other people. As just the most recent example, consider how when it was discovered that Pres. Bush had once again been lying about the extent of his domestic spying program in that he was spying on the bank accounts of American citizens. Caught with his pants down once again, what did our esteemed leader do? He blamed the messenger. What a guy!
In keeping with the allegorical intent, the House Un-American Activities Committee is symbolized in The Crucible as the court convened to examine the charges of witchcraft that is sweeping through Salem. The court closes its eyes to reality and refuses to accept anybody’s word except the young girls. Why? Why accept the hysterical rantings of young girls against the word respected citizens? Because the girls were saying exactly what they court wanted to hear. It was an early case of conforming facts to fit policy.
Miller’s point is that those who refused to be cowered by authority that has run amok, and who maintain loyalty to their friends in the process are better than people like Elia Kazan who cave in, and they are also better able to live with their real mistakes than those who turn rat on not only their friends, but their former beliefs. It is better to die with a clean conscience than live with a dirty one.
Thank you,
Now please go and enjoy one of the most powerful works of the American Stage of the 20th Century.
Thank you, Microdot. I didn't think you ever came here! Will wonders never cease.
However, your dig at Bush was unnecessary. I think we had a right to look at bank accounts if we suspected Al Quaeda support here in the states and thought the money trail might lead us to terrorists before they do more damage.
You know, not every 'witchhunt' is based on fraud --and if there were a witch who was commiting egregious crimes, I say, "hunt the witch." But we know the term has come to mean looking for something evil that isn't evil in order to punish people on trumped up charges --as in the play.
While there is still a legal Communist party in the US (I BELIEVE --take note, mudly) there is good reason to not want Communists to gain leadership positions and influence in our country--because they've never cultivated a free society that any of us could tolerate. They just spread the poverty around while the state tries to run all business and stifle religious freedom and belief.
If people REALLY DO have Communistic leanings and are secretive about it--and want to teach in our unis and run for office --we have a right to know what they believe about governance, liberty, free enterprise, democracy, etc. And we are in no way obligated to hire people who will admit that they will teach things that are antithetical to our western values --instead of hiring someone whose ideas are actually "better" and proven to "work" to provide freedom and prosperity to the most people.
I wouldn't wait for a reply to your commentary on the Crucible review Microdot posted because he just cut and paste the thing. He plagiarized the piece. The thoughts contained within aren't his.
I thought this looked familiar.
It was written by Timothy Sexton i 2006 and carried in the Associated Content Network.
Here's the link: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/47501/arthur_millers_the_crucible_an_allegory.html?cat=38
O my goodness, Kateb!! HOW WONDERFUL OF YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT MICRODOT PLAGIARIAZED THIS PIECE. You know, it DID occur to me -that it was peculiarly erudite for one who isn't a professional in literary analysis, etc. Who wouldn't likely have recently seen or read the play to have it so fresh in his mind. But I had just decided a long time ago that Microdot was a brilliant, arrogant know-it-all --now I know he's a fraud.
I thought this when he wrote about Laura Bush holed up in a hotel, mad at George --that it sounded like a story of very dubious origins --that it came out of his fertile imagination --or at least a source like the National Enquirer. But I never heard this rumor anywhere else. I guess I didn't google it....
Lest he erase it here,
Microdot posted here this plagiarized piece by Timothy Sexton:
My analysis of The Crucible by Arthur Miller...
It is the rare case indeed when a work of literature’s genesis can be traced to a singular event. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is one of those cases. There is only one reason that this play exists. The Crucible is Arthur Miller’s literary response to what still remains of most intensely disgusting episodes in all of American history.
After defeating the true demon ideology during World War II—fascism—American lawmakers for some reason embraced that very same ideology and began a furious and illegal assault upon those who embraced communism. It was during this dark time that several screenwriters, directors and actors making Hollywood movies were blacklisted simply because they refused to be a rat bastard like their friend Elia Kazan and reveal the names of friends who had attended meetings at which communist policies were discussed to a Congressional committee investigating the wholly legal and American concept of belonging to a political party, in this case the Communist Party. These actors, directors and screenwriters who refused to cave in to pressure and personal fear like Elia Kazan were denied the right to work despite having done nothing illegal.
Because it serves to comment on the historical context of the communist witch hunt while telling the story of the actual Salem witch hunt, therefore, The Crucible is technically an allegory. An allegory is basically a work of literature that tells one story on the surface while referring to another sub textually. Unlike the majority of other allegories, however, Arthur Miller peoples his play with fully fleshed-out three dimensional characters, and not just caricaturized puppets going through the motions.
The Crucible takes place in the historical Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It begins with the image of several teenaged girls dancing in the woods to the accompaniment of chants sung by a black slave. Making matters even worse, one of these girls is spotted dancing naked by none other than Rev. Parris. Being the fundamentalist Christian that he is—you know, full of superstition—he immediately concludes that the only possible explanation for teenage girls living in a repressive atmosphere like Puritan Salem to be in the woods at night dancing is…witchcraft.
After this eventful night, two young girls have fallen ill, including Parris’ own young daughter Betty. Parris sends for Rev. Hale, an expert on witchcraft. Yeah, isn’t that kind of like being an expert on fairies, leprechauns, or Katie Couric? None of those things really exist so, well, you get my meaning. Betty begins screaming amid a roomful of people, raising the hysteria level to the point where Betty and Abigail Williams, who works for Parris, suddenly turn on the one person in the room who looks like a witch.
Yeah, just another case of whitey keeping the black woman down. Poor Tituba gets accused of being a watch on account of being black. (In reality, she was more Native American than African-America.) In order to distract attention from themselves—shades of Elia Kazan—they immediately begin calling out the names of other women in the community who they claim to be witches.
This is a time honored American sport. When the hammer is about to come down on you, shift the blame to other people. As just the most recent example, consider how when it was discovered that Pres. Bush had once again been lying about the extent of his domestic spying program in that he was spying on the bank accounts of American citizens. Caught with his pants down once again, what did our esteemed leader do? He blamed the messenger. What a guy!
In keeping with the allegorical intent, the House Un-American Activities Committee is symbolized in The Crucible as the court convened to examine the charges of witchcraft that is sweeping through Salem. The court closes its eyes to reality and refuses to accept anybody’s word except the young girls. Why? Why accept the hysterical rantings of young girls against the word respected citizens? Because the girls were saying exactly what they court wanted to hear. It was an early case of conforming facts to fit policy.
Miller’s point is that those who refused to be cowered by authority that has run amok, and who maintain loyalty to their friends in the process are better than people like Elia Kazan who cave in, and they are also better able to live with their real mistakes than those who turn rat on not only their friends, but their former beliefs. It is better to die with a clean conscience than live with a dirty one.
Thank you,
Now please go and enjoy one of the most powerful works of the American Stage of the 20th Century.
November 22, 2008 11:03 AM
I am appreciative of the research and addition to knowledge for my blog --but you should've attributed to the real author, Macrodeceiver!
Yes, it was Sexton's piece.
I thought you were misinterpreting and missing the point of Millers play.
I actually acted in two productions of the Crucible, once in Cass Tech High School in Detroit and again in an amateur reading of the play and I have a strong connection to it.
When I read the Sexton piece, I agreed with all he said.
I will give Kate credit for recognizing aomeones else's work.
I gave you the links on the Laura Bush story back when I first read it. It was being reported as late as this year in different sources.
I believe it was true at the time but I have no way of knowing what their situation is now.
Always give credit where credit is due.
I read this article some time ago - I didn't care for it - but I like Arthur Miller and the Marilyn Monroe story. :-)
I have a very eclectic taste in life and as such, am fairly well read.
What a spin meister, Microdefendent!
Where is thy mea culpa --thy shame? trying to make us think you wrote this piece.
Will I ever let you live it down? Let me see --I don't think so!!! Unless you want to grovel in repentance, as you should! Now, I have to wonder, how many times you have published the work of others. tsk tsk
I cut and paste sometimes and forget to cite, but I'm sure that anyone could tell because my own writing has so many mispelling and gramatical errors that it's easy to spot.
More whippins and brow beating, Microd: If you disagreed with what I said, why didn't you say it yourself! or attribute the article?? Why??
I have known of the McCarthy era allegorical theme, but what I appreciated about Miller, was that he didn't make all the Christians into villains; most of the persecuted WERE real Christians. The Proctors' story of love and redemption toward each other is also very instructive.
My daughter went to the museum in Salem and felt the play stayed fairly true to the story that hysterical youth who WERE witchy caused all the trouble to protect themselves. It also occurs to the playgoer, that truth was just as dangerous for people as lies. they could die either way, for admitting they were witches, for denying that they were witches. It was a Lose-Lose --until the authorities feared the reaction of the town if so many obviously good citizens died --letting their children and their cattle run free untended. then they decided to forgive them if they would admit their sins and repent. This John Proctor did --and in the end, he had his goodness --his justification through remorse and refusal to call himself a follower of Satan.
I think about that in child-rearing. I didn't want my kids terrified of the truth--terrified to confess their sins --for fear of earthly consequences. I want them to feel remorse with hope for parental mercy --because God wants to show us mercy when we are remorseful. You want them to be good out of love for God and love for parent -as well as for appropriate shame and a proper fear when they do wrong --but not so afraid as to dig themselves in with more lies. I think that's where a lying culture comes in --and there are some --when kids get slapped around whimsically for wrong-doing, they find lying much more expedient and become facile liars with no respect for truth-telling.
Real Christianity shuns extra-Biblical superstition which the Salem people believed --the Bible doesn't talk about people flying or seeing the devil or seeing people with the devil. And I don't recall people casting spells upon each other. we believe in demon possession because Jesus did --and He cast out such demons --but they were not described as in superstitious colonial America. Voodoo dolls, e.g., are not a Biblical item.
The devil's work is more in the area of deception --anything to blind people to the Truth about God, man's sin and need for redemption. and in this case, the devil's work was manifested in:
a.Proctor's lust and the adultery
b.the wife's coldness and distance which helped to make him vulnerable because she believed herself unloveable
c. the teen-ager's immorality and disrespect for marriage (I think I had some sympathy for her when reading the play --that she may have learned about sex from John --his sin may have messed her up even further)
d. the girls refusal to own their activities in the woods
e. their lies leading to death of good people
f. the ministers' and others willingness to believe the worst --to believe manifestations of superstition concocted by the kids
g. a morbid fascination for evil and mystical phenomena
h. the judges' blindness to objectivity, reason, fairness --justice.
i. the judges' eagerness for cruel punishments to innocent people(like the Somalian Muslims stoning the rape victim to death --and beheading people.)
The better of the two ministers makes a case to the prisoners for lying, calling oneself a devil, admitting to the sin of witchcraft, in order to escape the gallows. Saying God would not have them die for truth --pride he called it --so lie, repent of being a witch, and live.
but being the good Christians they were, they would not lie to save their lives. They feared God more than man.
some might see that as the folly of their faith--but I think Miller meant for us to see it as honorable --good character --to stick to the truth and be martyred for not denying their Christianity.
Miller's Death of a Salesman also has excellent theme compatible with the Bible --"the sins of the fathers being passed on to the 3rd and 4th generations."
Steve, our Microdot deliberately plagiarized --no accident. And he is unbowed. Notice he called his post, "MY analysis of the Crucible...."
I give you grace, Microindebted --the undeserved favor of my forgiveness.
But you'll have to go to God for His.
How about Timothy Sexton's forgiveness? I've had my work copied before and it isn't a very nice feeling.
my, my Dennis - you've kind of lost your composure, haven't you?
Again. :-)
microdot, mud_rake, Man with the Muck-rake, liberal dem, you have the absolute unmitigated gall to do this here, while posting on your own site about First Amendment Rights - you're going down in history as the Buh huh biggest hypocrite in our nations history.
Lime drops, Dennis, liberal dem and so many other venomous nom de pukes - do you really think that anyone could possibly believe this Christian woman posted this filth from Washington Street in Tiffin? I think not.
Do you KNOW what an IP address is?
You're a venomous and lost soul as a human. Now you're lawsuit fodder. Congrats pal.
And you don't challenge anyone, not physically, not intellectually and certainly not morally. You have no game pal. And, if I have any say about it - you just cost yourself a lawsuit.
For which I will happily bear the costs.
Considering the blog owners conditions for posting here, I had a reasonable expectation to NOT encounter your abuse.
FYI - you left a trail when you posted as 'Barb'. Each time. Can you say exhibit?
I thought you could :-)
I'm actually apologizing here - when posted this - how traumatizing these posts have been....I had no idea I was dealing with an attorney.
I always thought that if everything went wrong - you could get an attorney and they'd fight for your rights. But this guy - he's blown all of this out of the water. The last person to trust is a lawyer. Look what happened here.
And that compounds things for me. Now I don't know who I can trust.
And that's a thought to keep you up at night - I don't know who you can trust now because of this. I can't sleep. I couldn't eat my dinner.
THE FOLLOWING PREVIOUSLY DELETED POSTS WERE NOT WRITTEN BY ME, THOUGH POSTED BY "BARB" BY AN IMPERSONATOR.
These people--all of these atheists and sodomites--the anti-Christ, I guess --as prophesied. The day will come--and it won't be good until Jesus Himself comes.
Thank you kateb for your concerns. I deleted the disgusting 'Barb' comment, but I am leaving up the "anonymous" one to allow people to see just how badly i was mistreated on the French Bog by that group of atheists.
Jesus is the salvation of the world.
I'm sorry, Kateb, that they have tampered with your blog name, also. I know you didn't write the following, because I don't think we've ever met --much less been long time friends. I'll erase the original --I do have the phony posts in my email as evidence if we decide to get to the bottom of this. Blogger isn't very responsive --but i didn't give them my ID which they wanted. So I guess I'll do that to get them to act.
the phony kateb posted: Actually I don't know what I am saying. I am so confused! I am an attorney in Tiffin and Barb hired me to look into the abuse she has suffered just trying to be a good Christian woman.
Those sodomites and that homo sex disgust me to no end. God's wrath shall fall upon thee and thou will be consumed in the first of hell! Forever!
My long-time friend Barb does not deserve this abuse from godless atheists like this. I have known Barb for many, many years and she has been saved by the blood of the cross.
Should you post any more comments like this, the police will be notified and you will be prosecuted. Did I make this clear?
The impersonator is not amusing anybody but himself and his small circle of like-minded, lost souls.
Looks like it. No big deal - Dennis has lost any credibility he may have had after this rabid and mindless attack.
Why don't you place your comments under moderation until he can gather some self-control. Or gets sent to a nice place where he can get well again. :-)
Where's Rodney King when you need him?
you mean, "why can't we just all get along?"
Microdot poses as an expert in any field of discussion on what Barb calls the French Blog. I won't give the name so others can visit it.
Now that I know he is a plagiarist it makes me laugh to think back at posts where he claimed I got all my information from emails. I guess he thinks I can't think for myself by listening to what people say or reading real news stories and not the fiction he claims to write for trashy novels.
His credibility has been completely demolished as has Denis'. That's why Denis is now posting about science. It's not such a wild position and he only has to quote large parts of others' writings. Two plagiarists. Birds of a feather and all that.
Both frauds. Since Valérie amuses herself by reading this blog maybe she too will realize Microdot is not the man so full of knowledge as much as bull excrement. But I doubt it. They all suck up to each other over there.
Microdot and Mudrake have been exposed and I doubt Microdot's experiences in life now as well as anything else he says. Microdot was a good name. It indicates lack of knowledge and significance.
We should have known it was plagiarized as he seems to have dyslexia with his typing skills.
Thanks to KateB for outing the slimebag calling himself microdot. I am Timothy Sexton and I WROTE every word he says he wrote. If he hasn't been banned from Blogger yet, he should be.
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