"Why I Wrote the Crucible?"
"Why I Wrote the Crucible" (PDF)
By Arthur Miller
In 1996 Miller wrote this essay for The New Yorker in which he reflects on the politics surrounding his play "The Crucible".
Study Questions
PBS American Masters- Arthur Miller
"Is Hysteria Real? Brain Images Say Yes"
NYTimes By ERIKA KINETZ
September 26, 2006
The term “witch hunt” has entered the American language as a short hand for the hysterical pursuit of imagined enemies in the community. The Cold War attack on alleged “subversives” and Communist party members is often characterized as a witch hunt. The American Civil Liberties Union defends the rights of people to speak freely, to practice the religion of their choice and to be treated equally before the law. In addition, the ACLU defends other fundamental rights outlined in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution: the right to be free from unlawful searches and seizures in our homes and offices; the right to a fair trial and to legal representation; and the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.
One-hundred and forty people were accused of witchcraft. Nineteen people were hanged, one person was pressed to death, and as many as thirteen people may have died in prison.
From Salem Witch Trials FAQs