CONTEXT IS KEY
What political event was Arthur Miller responding to when he wrote The Crucible?
What is the 1950s McCarthy trials
Why is Abigail able to gain power in Salem?
What is hysteria empowers the socially powerless
How does Miller use dramatic irony to comment on the flaws within the justice system in Salem?
What is truth ignored by authority
How does Miller’s consistent moral questioning throughout The Crucible contribute to its enduring relevance?
What is timeless ethical conflict
Did you know Miller wrote The Crucible in less than a year during a time of political panic? How does that urgency show in the text?
What is fast-paced escalating conflict
What is Miller’s personal experience when writing of The Crucible?
What is House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
Why does Reverend Parris fear the accusations?
What is fears loss of reputation
In what way does Miller’s use of stage directions contribute to characterisation and tension throughout the play?
What is silence heightening emotional stakes
In what way does Miller’s unified narrative structure reinforce the emotional and thematic progression of the play?
What is cohesive dramatic tension
Miller was nearly jailed for refusing to name names — how does that real-life defiance echo in Proctor’s final act?
What is personal sacrifice for truth
Why did Miller choose a historical allegory instead of writing directly about McCarthyism?
What is safely critiquing McCarthyism’s demogrogry
Why does John Proctor confess then retract?
What is values integrity over survival
How does the use of biblical allusion reinforce both the setting and the moral dilemmas faced by characters?
What is sin driving character conflicts
How does the interplay of character, context, and conflict reveal the play’s structural and thematic coherence?
What is integrity driving resolution
The play has no scene changes — why might Miller have kept the structure so tight and continuous?
What is unrelenting dramatic pressure
How does The Crucible reflect Miller’s concerns about conformity and mass hysteria in 1950s America?
What is fear-driven societial pressures
How does the court misuse religion?
What is weaponised faith to control
How does Miller’s use of symbolism in the noose and courtroom reflect broader societal fears and power structures?
What is justice becoming performance
How does the repetition of key motifs and ideas throughout the acts enhance the play’s textual integrity?
What is consistent ideological focus
The Salem witch trials were real, but Miller changed some details. Why still call it The Crucible?
What is testing morality under heat
In what ways does The Crucible reflect Miller’s belief in the responsibility of the individual in society?
What is resisting unjust systems, even at personal cost
How does Miller criticise blind authority through the plot?
What is obedience leads to tragic injustice
How does Miller manipulate dialogue and language formality to explore power imbalance and manipulation between characters?
What is rhetoric masking intent
How does Miller’s blending of historical realism with theatrical form enable The Crucible to maintain significance across generations?
What is universal political resonance
Ever noticed how Abigail almost disappears by Act IV? What might Miller be saying by shifting focus away from her?
What is evil fading into system