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The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

by Arthur Miller (Author) "A small upper bedroom in the home of reverend Samuel parris, Salem, Massachusetts, in the spring of the year 1692 ..." (more)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics; New Ed edition (24 Feb 2000)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0141182555
ISBN-13: 978-0141182551
Product Dimensions: 20 x 12.9 x 1 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,047 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories:

#3 in	Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Drama > By Period > 20th Century
#3 in	Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Performing Arts > Plays & Drama > 20th Century
#5 in	Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > History & Criticism > Drama & Dramatists

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Product Description

Arthur Miller's 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.

About the Author

Arthur Miller was born in New York City in 1915 and studied at the University of Michigan. His plays include All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953), A View from the Bridge and A Memory of Two Mondays (1955), After the Fall (1963), Incident at Vichy (1964), The Price (1968), The Creation of the World and Other Business (1972) and The American Clock. He has also written two novels, Focus (1945), and The Misfits, which was filmed in 1960, and the text for In Russia (1969), Chinese Encounters (1979), and In the Country (1977), three books of photographs by his wife, Inge Morath. His most recent works include a memoir, Timebends (1987), and the plays The Ride Down Mt. Morgan (1991), The Last Yankee (1993), Broken Glass (1993), which won the Olivier Award for Best Play of the London Season, and Mr. Peter's Connections (1998). He has twice won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and in 1949 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

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First Sentence
A small upper bedroom in the home of reverend Samuel parris, Salem, Massachusetts, in the spring of the year 1692. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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	87% buy the item featured on this page: The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts (Penguin Modern Classics) 4.6 out of 5 stars (13) �5.95
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	3% buy York Notes on Arthur Miller's "Crucible" 4.6 out of 5 stars (5) �3.87
	1% buy Plays: "All My Sons"; "Death of a Salesman"; the "Crucible"; A "Memory of Two Mondays"; A "View from the Bridge": Vol 1 (Methuen World Dramatists) 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �11.98

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genuinely frightening, 23 May 2001

By A Customer

This book, set during Salem in 1692, mirrors the McCarthy witch hunt of the 1950's. Whereas then communists were rooted out, in Salem, it's witches. Hysteria grips the town, and Miller portrays this perfectly, and explores a frightening realism of the human mind. Feuds from long ago come back into light, and no-one is safe, not even from their children. This is an incredible play, and is firmly regarded as one of the best plays ever written.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant example of small-town thinking, 26 Mar 2007

By	L. Baldachin "lalamuh" (Maidenhead, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great story. This illustrates much in human behaviour around "witch hunts", be this communism, witchcraft, or whatever.

It is NOT historical fact, but a view of the small-town thinking, suspicious, back-stabbing, jealousy and greedy nature of characters which can be surfaced by opportunity. Wonderful scenes of hysteria which made me laugh too.

Easy to follow, but with something to dig your teeth into.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A play that can survive GCSE analysis!, 7 Jul 2006

By	L. Price (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I studied this play for my GCSE english course (as did many of the reviewers!) and .. I was impressed! It is hard to really appreciate literature when you are spoon fed every 'intent' and 'meaning' behind everyline. It's hard to finish and book that you've slowed disected along with 24 other studends and think 'wow'. But Miller managed it.

Incredibly quotable - I don't have a copy any more(!) but I can still remember some beautiful lines. One was already quoted by another reviewer!
Here are a couple of longer ones I found on a website:
'A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!'
'Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretenses ripped away.'
'You bring down heaven and raise up a whore! '

Also interesting, are the passages aside from the script, written by Arthur Miller to embellish the depth of the play. It works on many levels - An (admittedly inaccurate) historical account of the Salem witch trials; a reflection of the anti-communist 'witch hunts' of the McCarthy era which Miller was himself caught up in; and all at once it is also a glimpse at the nature of humanity and a struggle between good and evil, imagined and real, and the choices that people have to make.

I've also seen the film, which I think was very good, right up until the end, where the final scene (added to the end of the play) was (in my opinion) an embarassing mis-interpretation of the whole meaning!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars an emotional read
In the current age of video, this play script was powerful enough to reduce me to tears with no visual stimulus. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Bridget Oliver

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential read for any American history enthusiast
The reason why this play works on many levels as a background in American history is that it focusses on two main areas, namely the Salem witch trials of the 17th century and the... Read more

Published on 21 Jul 2006 by L.McIndoe

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
I am a year 10 student who has recently read The Crucible, it is a fantastic play with amazing dialogue and strong, vivid characters. Read more

Published on 10 April 2006

3.0 out of 5 stars A heretical view
What was Miller writing about in this play? Was it an examination of the psychological and social phenomena that led to the Salem witch trials? Read more

Published on 6 Mar 2006 by Peter Reeve

5.0 out of 5 stars Scary and horrifying
I'm a year 10 student and I recently read the Crucible in my english class as part of my G.C.S.E. I was the character Reverend Hale and he is just a superb character, his words... Read more

Published on 28 Feb 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars A play you have to perform
I recently performed in the Crucible as Revd John Hale of Beverly and i can tell you now if you are looking for an exciting, controversial and audience grabbing play then look no... Read more

Published on 11 Jan 2002 by Mr Adam Graham

4.0 out of 5 stars Historical and the real story
The main plot is about the Salem witch trials in 1692, in the midst of this there is a sub plot where John Proctor(leading man)tries to reveal the truth. Read more

Published on 29 Nov 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating and horrifying
Miller's title is appropriate for the play. He creates an atmosphere and mood in the play that is significant to the time that the Salem witch hunt took place and of the Puritan... Read more

Published on 18 Oct 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars Totally absorbing.... a great book to study in detail...
The Crucible is a terrifying trip through the dark days of the Salem Witch trails. Beneath this cover-up of the supernatural, people make use of this for their own selfish... Read more

Published on 5 Sep 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational
Reading this book inspired me to study History and Politics at college.

Primarily it is a great read and really illustrates Miller's talent as a playwright (the tension at some... Read more

Published on 19 Aug 1999

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