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The Crucible
A Play in Four Acts
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Summary
Written by Arthur Miller and first performed in 1953 during the height of McCarthyism, this play explores themes of mass hysteria, the conflict between individual conscience and societal pressure, and the destructive power of fear.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers interested in historical drama, social psychology, and classic theatre, as well as students studying American literature or social dynamics.
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See more"Earlier version copyright under title Those familiar spirits"-- T.p. verso.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
A haunting examination of groupthink and mass hysteria in a rural community
The place is Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, an enclave of rigid piety huddled on the edge of a wilderness. Its inhabitants believe unquestioningly in their own sanctity. But in Arthur Miller's edgy masterpiece, that very belief will have poisonous consequences when a vengeful teenager accuses a rival of witchcraft—and then when those accusations multiply to consume the entire village.
First produced in 1953, at a time when America was convulsed by a new epidemic of witch-hunting, The Crucible brilliantly explores the threshold between individual guilt and mass hysteria, personal spite and collective evil. It is a play that is not only relentlessly suspenseful and vastly moving but that compels readers to fathom their hearts and consciences in ways that only the greatest theatre ever can.
"A drama of emotional power and impact" —New York Post
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780140481389
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 29 October 1981
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 160
Collections
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. More 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). His latest book is On Politics and the Art of Acting. Miller was granted with the 2001 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He has twice won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and in 1949 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
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