Why Is The Crucible Still Relevant Today

Arthur Miller, a playwright living in the 1950s, wrote the infamous play regarding the Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible. There has been much dispute as to why he wrote it, but much of it was covered in his essay, “Why I Wrote “The Crucible’”. Although he described the reason behind writing The Crucible, he stated that the message of his play is up to the individual to infer. However, the main reason that Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible was to show to those governed by terror due to a similar event in the Red Scare of the 1950s the past effects of fear, hysteria, and mob mentality to. From here, the question arises: What message and meaning does The Crucible have for society today? Does it still hold the same relevance? Miller’s play holds

It warns of the far reaching, tight grasp of fear, and the effects that it has on individuals and society as a whole. When a fear-driven society is brought up, in the minds of many, the recent election comes to mind. Many politicians’ claims and influence stemmed from fear and intolerance. Parris, the Putnam’s, and the girls all thrived off of Salem’s fear and the power it gave them. The same can be said for many political figures today, who prosper amidst the fear that rules the twenty first century. It is for this reason that the message within The Crucible concerning the power of fear is so important, as it is evident that society still must be wary of it. The end effect of the Salem Witch Trials, as illustrated in The Crucible, was the eventual downfall of the Puritan regime and a haunted population. This shows that fear, although a strong weapon, it can never be fully contained or controlled. In the end, this drives societies, communities, and civilizations apart. Many people--like the girls in The Crucible as well as politicians today--intend to use fear to gain power and influence. Their power comes from the human desire to be safe, and the tendency to flock to those who promise protection. Today, our fear leads us to be intolerant and to go against many of the policies that America was built upon. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the promise of a home to all have been

He showed how fear warped the Puritan’s judgement and “united” them in a mob, with one mission: to rid Salem of all witches. Fear clouded their judgement, and the presence of the mob blinded them from their morals, ideals, and rights. Such is the case with every mob and is the very reason that they are feared. When mobs are formed, they strike out to “right” what the mob deems as “wrong” based on the “mob mentality”. This leads to “mob justice,” which is skewed and based off of emotion rather than logic or reason. There are no longer individual consciences within the mob; every mind merges to become one, sharing the same hatred, anger, fear, or sadness. As shown deliberately in The Crucible as a warning against mob mentality, the only feeling left after the intense emotion disappates is regret. Miller warned of the senseless logic of mobs in his play in order to show that Americans possessed the same irrational paranoia as the Puritans had before them. The play continues to be relevant as it illustrates for society the danger of unbridled group rage without