• Nineteen people were condemned to death during the Salem witch trials and many others were sentenced to jail. The word crucible is the perfect title for Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, in many ways. You may be wondering what does crucible means? It means a vessel (like a pot) used for melting (…) a substance that requires a high degree of heat. Another definition is a severe test. The last definition of crucible is a place or situation which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. Abigail is like a crucible because she is the one who make Mary Warren break down. John Proctor had a severe test when it came to him choosing either life or death. Lastly, Betty was the one who influenced the whole witch trials in Salem, MA. Abigail is a perfect example of a crucible because she is the one who heats Mary Warren up to her breaking point.

    For example Abigail and Tituba are a perfect representation of a crucible. When, Abigail fakes an attack that Mary Warren is sending out her spirit to attack her in the presence of a bird, it makes Mary Warren break down. Mary Warren can not make her own decisions and is easily influenced by others, so since she saw the girls screaming, she joined in with them. Mary Warren joined in with all of the other girls, so she would not get hung or put in jail for being accused as a witch. Since, Mary Warren got accused; she accused John Proctor of witch craft too. Another showing of a crucible is when Tituba and all the other girls were dancing in the woods naked, trying to connect with the devil. This shows that Tituba is like a crucible because she influenced all of the girls to join in with the dancing. It was not right to influence the girls to dance in the woods naked and connecting with the devil by drinking blood. John Proctor also represents a crucible in many ways.

    John Proctor and Mary Warren are also another perfect representation of a crucible, because the both had to face a severe test. At the end of the book when it came to John Proctor choosing life or death it was a severe test for him. When John Proctor says, “I have given you my soul leave me my name” (Miller 143) he rips up the contract and chooses to get hung. This shows that he was put to a severe test, to see if he could forgive himself for having the affair with Abigail. Mary Warren is again another perfect representation of a crucible. She was in court to tell the truth, when all the girls claimed she was sending out her soul to attack them, Mary Warren made a hard decision. She chooses to play along with the girls so she would not get hung or put in jail because of witchcraft. Mary Warren can not make her own decisions, so she was influenced by the girls. This caused her to accuse John Proctor of witchcraft too. It was wrong of her when she blamed John for being a witch, when she was blamed for witchcraft too. More over Betty was the girl who started the witch hysteria in Salem.

    John Proctor and Betty are another representation of a crucible because they both were involved in a change through out the book. When, John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth was called to court to admit that her husband had committed lechery, she lied which caused John’s death. John Proctor chose to have his life taken, instead of forgiving himself for having the affair with Abigail. When John says, “I have given you my soul; leave me my name” (Miller 143) he rips up the contract that could save his life. This proves how brave John Proctor to decide to die rather than live the reset of his life. He should have forgave himself so he there wouldn’t be anymore tragedies in the Proctor family. Betty on the other hand started the whole witch hysteria in Salem. When, she pretended that she was being bewitched all the towns’ people gave her attention and that caused the change of the witch trials. If she had not started the whole hysteria, there would not be nineteen deaths of innocent people. It was wrong of her to start the hysteria in Salem. What would you do if you found out who had started the whole hysteria in Salem?

    The Crucible is the perfect title for Arthur Miller’s play. All the characters in The Crucible relates to the definition of a crucible because of the events and something that happened in the play. If I found out who started the whole hysteria in Salem I would take her to court for a trial.