The Crucible Essay, Research Paper

The production of THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller had many high points of suspense and action. Mainly involving the trials and tribulations of John Proctor. Mr. Philip G. Hill’s view of Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE is strong; emotion filled and does an excellent job of summarizing this classic production. In THE CRUCIBLE there are many sections of excitement. John Proctor never seems to get a break and this is well documented in THE CRUCIBLE. For example, he first screws up his marriage by messing around with a little teenage girl. Then he discovers his wife is being charged with witchcraft, as if things could get any worse. Things did get worse, and John himself is also charged as a witch. This was because he couldn’t recite all of the 10 commandments. Realistically, no one can recall every detail they’ve ever learned, especially in the position John was in. Overall John Proctor made some dumb decisions and paid for them dearly. The criticism by Philip G. Hill of THE CRUCIBLE was an excellent description and point of view. Especially the part of his criticism that discussed Proctor’s losing of his soul. There are many different ways the reader can look at it to see that Proctor lost his soul. For instance his own wife says that he is better for not lying about his past mistakes because maybe that reputation might follow his family. Throughout the play John is searching for his soul. He needed to make TONS of decisions revolving around his personal future and that of his friends and family. For example, when he told Marry Warren to go to Salem, they both were committed at that very moment. While searching for “himself” Proctor took many chances and this affected many other twists in history and the play.

Arthur Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE was very fact-filled and fascinating. Bound between the front and back covers of the play is a life lesson. John Proctor animated this throughout the story. It’s to bad that it took John so long to find his soul. Actually, it was fatal, by the time John Proctor found his soul he had to sacrifice his own life. To our benefit Mr. Philip G. Hill realized all of this and wrote a great criticism for us to read, experience and learn from.