The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts
by Arthur Miller
First Performed: 1953
15 Copies & Reading Guide
This classic parable of mass hysteria draws a chilling parallel between the Salem witch-hunt of 1692 – one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history – and the McCarthyism which gripped America in the 1950s. The story of how the small community of Salem is stirred into madness by superstition, paranoia and malice, culminating in a violent climax, is a savage attack on the evils of mindless persecution and the terrifying power of false accusations.
Reading Guide:
One Book, One Chicago - Includes Author Information, Historical Context, and Discussion Questions
Penguin Group – Teacher’s Guide
Reviews:
Goodreads – Find out what fellow readers thought of The Crucible on Goodreads.
On the Web:
Website – http://www.arthurmiller.org/
National Endowment for the Humanities – Arthur Miller Lecture
IMDB – Information aobut his many plays turned into films and includes his stints as an actor.
Arthur Miller Society – Includes the Arthur Miller Journal, resources for his works, and more.
PBS – American Masters: Arthur Miller
60 Second Recap – A series of short videos about The Crucible
Don’t forget to check the catalog to see if the film is available at your local library!
If you enjoyed The Crucible, you might like:
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
The Lace Reader (Book Club Kit) by Brunonia Barry
The Enemy Within (Book Club Kit) by John Demos
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
