What does the crucible symbolize in the play?
A crucible is a piece of laboratory equipment used to melt metal because it can withstand high temperatures. In this play the crucible symbolizes the heat of hysteria that takes over Salem during the witch trials. Allegorically, the United States also became a crucible for citizens during the Red Scare.
How does the definition of crucible relate to the play?
One definition of a crucible is a vessel, often ceramic or porcelain, used for melting down and purifying metal. Clearly, both definitions apply to the title of the play. The Salem witch trials end up being a crucible, that is, a time of great testing and purifying, for the townspeople.
What’s the meaning of crucible?
A crucible is a severe test or trial or an extremely challenging experience. This figurative sense of crucible is based on the literal meaning of the word: a heat-resistant container used to melt metals. Crucible in the literal sense is used in the context of metallurgy, the science of working with and refining metals.
What is the climax of the crucible?
The play’s climax comes when Proctor finally confesses the affair with Abigail, at last releasing the guilt of his sins and sacrificing his good name to save his wife. His sacrifice is in vain as Elizabeth, seeking to protect her husband’s reputation, refuses to verify his story, and Mary accuses Proctor of witchcraft.
What is the genre of all my sons?
Tragedy
What does hysteria mean in the crucible?
The town of Salem falls into mass hysteria, a condition in which community-wide fear overwhelms logic and individual thought and ends up justifying its own existence. In The Crucible, hysterical fear becomes an unconscious means of expressing the resentment and anger suppressed by strict Puritan society.
Why do societies throughout history continue to react irrationally in times of fear or panic?
Despite the lessons learned from the Salem Witch Trials, we have seen the damage of mass hysteria repeated. Why do societies throughout history continue to react irrationally in times if fear or panic? Because that’s all society really knows how to do.
