In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the author uses various literary devices throughout the play. Miller uses allegories throughout this piece of literature to validate the central theme. One of the central themes emphasized throughout the play is that hysteria has the ability to tear lives apart while also having long-term repercussions.

The Crucible is an allegory comparing Salem’s Witch Trials to McCarthyism. Miller did this intentionally to show the similarities between the two. During the Red Scare, there was a hunt for communists and spies in the United States. This is similar to the witch hunt that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. In both of these events, people were accused and convicted. However, there was no evidence to prove someone’s innocence. Therefore, repercussions were inevitable. In Salem, the names of people who confessed to witchcraft were written on a list visible to the townspeople. This is similar to the Hollywood Blacklist. The Hollywood Blacklist was a list of celebrities and public figures accused of being affiliated with communism. As a result of the Hollywood Blacklist, jobs were lost and careers were ruined. In Miller’s play, accused people were separated from their families and either arrested or killed. For example, John Proctor was separated from his wife and children when he was arrested and eventually put to death. The allegory of The Crucible is used to strengthen the central theme of the play. Massive hysteria has the ability to negatively impact lives and careers with long-lasting repercussions. During the time of the Hollywood Blacklist, a long-term effect was being denied a job in the entertainment industry. In The Crucible, Proctor’s children would have to live the rest of their lives without a father. Elizabeth’s newborn child would live his or her life without ever meeting his or her father. The court hearings of The Crucible were very one-sided. Unlike our modern day government ideology of being innocent until proven guilty, at the time, you were guilty until proven innocent. Therefore, the government was already sided against you if you were accused. This contributed to why it was very difficult for people to prove their innocence. During the Hollywood Blacklist, if you were accused, people already sided against you. You weren’t innocent until proven guilty. This is why many innocent people were penalized for being communist even though they had no ties with communism. As a result, many were denied jobs in the entertainment industry. These are all examples of how hysteria can indirectly and detrimentally impact the lives of others.

Arthur Miller’s use of allegories in The Crucible strongly supports the central theme of long-lasting repercussions resulting from hysteria. The Crucible is an excellent example of how history repeats itself. Although the government shifted from a theocracy to a democracy, it is interesting that similar events were able to occur despite different political ideologies. Unfortunately, it took too long for people to take a stand against these unaccountable crimes, furthering the effects of hysteria.