being neighbors with a Communist. One bad result of McCarthyism is that people would use this power in the wrong way blaming an enemy out of spite or revenge, not as a concern for national safety (Miller, Theatre 23). Joseph McCarthy hurt many people and eventually destroyed his own reputation through his Communistic witch hunts. On January 22, 1953, The Crucible opened on Broadway at the height of the furor stirred up by Joseph McCarthy (Martine, Essays 78). Written by playwright Arthur Miller, it displays the small Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s trying to "purify" itself from the witchcraft thought to be threatening it even down to its most powerful citizens. The Crucible explores two concepts- 1) the generation of hysteria, and 2) the achievement of moral honesty (Moss 64). The townspeople were pointed out by a group of girls in the community who were caught doing bewitching chants and dancing in the beginning of the play. As it turns out, the majority of religious community is persecuted for being accused of witchcraft. Abigail Williams, the niece of Reverend Parris leads the group of girls in their accusations. The judges and authorities trust the children because the authorities believe that the "voice and finger of God" will come from the words of children. As the play progresses it is revealed that the girls are convicting the townspeople out of vengeance rather than truth. Many of the girls have personal reasons for these accusations, especially Abigail. Abigail goes as far as to blame, and have one of her friends plant evidence on, John Proctor's wife because Abigail is in love with Proctor. Thomas Putnam, a power-hungry businessman, points out his neighbor Giles Cory because Putnam wants Cory's land. As a result many accusations were derived from personal greed. If anyone was pointed out and suspected of being guilty, he or she was given the right to point out anyone else that t...
