The Crucible Title Analysis

“The Crucible,” the title Arthur Miller’s gave his play. Nowhere in the whole play is the title even mentioned. This makes one curious to find out the reason why. Why would Arthur Miller name his play “The Crucible” and not mention it in his play? There could be many reasons why he chose this title. Webster’s dictionary defines crucible as a vessel of a very refractory material used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat. Crucible is also defined as a severe test. The last definition of crucible is a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. Just as there are three definitions for crucible in the dictionary, there are three meaning for the title of the play. When considering the title of the play “The Crucible” and the first definition in the Webster’s dictionary, one may gain insight into Arthur Miller’s title selection. Crucible is a vessel used for melting at a high degree of heat. The village of Salem can be compared to this. The village was a very strict Puritan village.
Puritan’s at the time were a group of people that grew discontented with the church of England and were working toward religious, moral and societal reforms. The village was filled with people that were desiring to follow God and His direction. The play centered n the many different people and their feelings, emotions, personalities, beliefs, and their likes and dislikes. The town and their “hot tempers” were finally brought to a “melting point”. When the people living in Salem were brought before the religious court and accused of being witches, this took the “heat” of the community to an all time high! All the false accusations of witchcraft stirred and simmered in the “melting pot” of the village. Arthur Miller probably took this into consideration when choosing the title of his play. It was a very descriptive definition that perfectly describes Salem at that time. Choosing to die in order to make the right decision is a severe test!
The title of Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” is also defined as a severe test. Many were testing in “The Crucible”. This may also be the reason for the title. For example, John Proctor persevered in his most severe test. The ultimate test that John Proctor had to go through is the final decision that he made before he died. John Proctor chose peace with his wife, himself, and peace with God. He ultimately made the correct decision. He passed the severe test by having faith in himself and not letting go of his good name by signing a confession. In contrast, the town of Salem failed their test when they trusted Abigail enough to believe the things that the young, dishonest girl said. They did not believe the honesty in John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Reverend Hale. The trials and severe tests brought out most of the characters true
natures. Moreover, last definition in the Webster’s dictionary for crucible is a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development. Change and development certainly occurred in The Crucible. In “The Crucible”, peoples lives changed. They had to decide what they believed and what they would stand for. They had to decide if their decisions would change them or if they would change their decisions. When Elizabeth was in court and the judge asked if her husband had an affair, she decided to lie for the first time. Her lie got her nowhere. As she was telling a lie, her husband was telling the truth. Her lack of integrity changed her in a negative way. It changed the makeup of who she was. It defined her in that moment. In contrast, John’s integrity changed him in a positive way; even though he would die, he would ultimately live. Furthermore, “The Crucible” is a perfect title for Arthur Miller’s play. The title of the play is complex and has not just one explanation. Just as there are multiple definitions for the word crucible, there are multiple meaning for the title of the play. A crucible is a melting pot, a severe test, and a force that interacts to influence change. This all occurred in the play. These definitions are the perfect combination for inspiration, understanding and explanation for the title of the book “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller.