Explain Why Should Queensland High School Students Study The Crucible

Why should Queensland high school students study ‘The Crucible’?

Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ is based upon the Salem Witch Trials which occurred in the year 1692. The text also serves as an allegorical warning about much more recent events, in particular the McCarthy Trials of 1953. The McCarthy Trials were exploring communism. ‘The Crucible’ was written to highlight the similarities between McCarthyism and communism in the 1950’s in the United States of America and the witch hunts of Europe in the 17th century. The play is literally written about the witch trials but it is figuratively about the society Miller lived in, in 1953. Thousands of Americans were accused of being communists like in ‘The Crucible’; hundreds of the town’s people were accused of being witches. Three major ideologies that are still relevant in society today are evident in the play, intolerance, mass hysteria and reputation.
The study of ‘The Crucible’ in the English curriculum today is extremely relevant because most of the beliefs and ideologies used are also still relevant in society.
‘The Crucible’ is set in a theocratic society, in which the church and the state are known to be one and the religion is very strict. In Salem everything and everyone belongs to either God or the Devil. As Danforth says in Act III, “a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it.” The witch trials are the ultimate expression of intolerance and hanging witches is the best means of restoring the community’s purity. The ideology of intolerance also links to the McCarthy Trials in the sense that there was a large amount of intolerance against communism in the United States in the early 1950’s. This evidence strongly supports that ‘The Crucible’ should be studied in contemporary Queensland High
Schools.
Another critical ideology in ‘The Crucible’ is the role that mass hysteria can play in tearing apart a community. In ‘The Crucible’ the town’s people accept and become a part of the hysteria of witchcraft. One of the most obvious cases is Abigail, who uses the situation to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and have her sent to jail. Elizabeth says, “It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a certain danger in calling such a name – I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn, drunk and half-witted. She dare not call out such a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John.” In Act II when Elizabeth, John and Mary Warren are at home, Mary Warren brings news that Abigail has accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. Elizabeth then explains to John that she is only accusing John because she wants him for herself. Both McCarthyism and The Salem Witch Trials carry connotations of false, even hysterical, accusation. These connotations then progress onto mass hysteria. In society today it is very common that people base their beliefs and their lives on assumptions rather than factual evidence. This evidence supports why ‘The Crucible’ should be studied in contemporary schools today.
Reputation is extremely important in Salem, where public and private moralities are one and the same. Focused on maintaining public reputation, the townsfolk fear that the sins of their friends will spoil their names. Various characters in the play base their actions on protecting their reputations. John Proctor seeks to keep his good name. Early in the play, he has a chance to put a stop to the girls’ accusations, but his desire to keep his reputation stops him from testifying against Abigail. At the end of the play, however, Proctor’s need to keep his good name leads him to make the choice not to make a false confession and to go to his death without signing his name to a false statement. “I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” he cries to Danforth in Act IV. By refusing to give up his name, he redeems himself for his earlier failure and dies with honour. The McCarthy trials were also about reputation and having a high status in politics. Senator Joseph McCarthy was a conservative voter and he was an anti-communist. McCarthy was a well respected man until he lost support and his good reputation ended in 1953 when he started attacking the U.S. Army, and suggesting that Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower was protecting subversives. This evidence supports that ‘The Crucible´ should be studied in Queensland High Schools.
In conclusion, ‘The Crucible´ should be studied in contemporary Queensland High Schools. This is because of the range of ideologies that are still relevant in today’s society.