The Crucible의 배경 연구 = A Study on the Background of The Crucible

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

When The Crucible opened on January 22, 1953, the term "witch-hunt" was nearly synonymous with the Congressional investigations. In this play, many people can see the parallel between the witchcraft trials at Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 and the Congressional hearings in 1950s. The events represented in The Crucible are largely contained in the massive two volume record of the trials located in the Essex County Archives at Salem. He found in the records of the trials at Salem that between June 10 and September 22, 1692, nineteen men and women and two dogs were hanged for witchcraft, and one man was pressed to death for standing mute. Focusing upon the story of John proctor, Miller almost retells the story of a panic-stricken society that held a belief in the existence of the Devil and the reality of witchcraft. To the Puritans of Massachusetts, witchcraft was a manifestation of the Devil`s efforts overthrow "God`s kingdom." Miller added an adulterous relationship between Abigail Williams and Proctor in The Crucible. For dramatic purposes, he fused many characters into one, raised Abigail`s age, and changed Proctor`s age from 60s to 30s. He also add the character of Mary Warren, an accuser in court and a servant in Proctor`s household. He emphasized her difficulty in attempting to tell the truth in the court. With the exception of Abigail and Proctor`s adultery, the events and characters of The Crucible are representations of the underlying forces of hatred, hysteria, and fear that paralyzed Salem. Even if it was seen as a political and historical allegory, The Crucible has attained a life of its own. It is the play that explores the meaning and significance of the mass hysteria and Black-White theory.