The Crucible Essay

Human Nature VS Cinematography Fear often breeds superstitions, but more often, fear makes a person bend to the authority and make desperate choices. In Author Miller's 1953 play, The Crucible, Miller comments on the human's natural tendency to be susceptible to fear and the compromises people make in fear of their own life. The play was well- liked by the public and later in 1996, under director Nicholas Hytner, was made into a film that is still being reviewed today. With the improvement of theatrical technology, the cinematography and other dramatic elements of the film not only made 1692 Salem seem real and close, but also convey the fear, that Miller wanted to express, and the power of the pressure from the expectations of the society to audience members. Through personal experiences, Miller was inspired and wrote The Crucible in 1950s, during a time of social instability and major changes while many became victims of the McCarthy communist hearings. To Miller, 1692 Salem seems like a parallel universe of 1950s America. He noticed the major social changes that were going through both community, "in which the individual had been increasingly cut loose from the traditional 'anchors' of religion, social/political alignments, family relationships, and a defined self- image" (History of Modern American Drama.) Miller personally experienced being falsely accused of something that he did not deserve and refused to bow to the authority of the court when he was forced to name names. The court was reluctant to believe that Miller might be innocent and consciously believe that he must have accomplices while Miller was, in truth, innocent. Through this observation and anger at the injustice of the so-called just judiciary system, Miller wrote The Crucible to reflect his irritation and further remarked some characteristics of human nature. Specifically, the human experience when his/her own life is in danger - fear. Such fear creates great desperation