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| ARTHUR MILLER |
| PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES TO STUDY ARTHUR MILLER. PAY ATTENTION TO HIS BIOGRAPHICAL FACTS, ACHIEVEMENTS, THEMES AND BELIEFS. CREATE A TWO PAGE ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHICAL TRIBUTE WITH INFORMATION YOU HAVE GATHERED. |
| NOTES HE DESCRIBES THE PASSIONATE EXPRESSION OF AN IDEALISM THAT IS CHARACTERISTICALLY AMERICAN. IN EARLIER AGES, TRAGIC PLAYS HAD DEALT MAINLY WITH THE OVERTHROW OF SUCH POWERFUL FIGURES AS KINGS OF GENERALS. MILLER, HOWEVER, HAS ARGUED THAT AN ORDINARY MODERN INDIVIDUAL CAN SERVE EQUALLY WELL AS TRAGIC HERO, IF HE WANTS SOMETHING INTENSELY ENOUGH TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING ELSE IN ITS PURSUIT. MILLERS TRAGIC FIGURES ARE OFTEN SOMEWHAT CONFUSED. IN THE CRUCIBLE, JOHN PROCTOR, THE BLUNT, SENSIBLE FARMER, IS NOT SO OBVIOUSLY GUILTY OF ANY SUCH OBSESSION. YET HE, TOO, IS A COMMON MAN, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL INFLUENTIAL LEADER. HE IS BY NO MEANS OVERLY ANXIOUS TO ENGAGE IN ANY HEROIC ACTION. IN FACT, HE TENDS TO BE CAUTIOUS. IN 1953 MILLER OFFERED A NEW ORIGINAL WORK, THE CRUCIBLE, BASED UPON THE TRIALS FOR WITCHCRAFT THAT OCCURRED IN MASSACHUSETTS IN THE 1690'S. THE CRUCIBLE TELLS OF THE HAVOC WROUGHT IN EARLY SALEM WHEN SOME RESTLESS YOUNG GIRLS CLAIM THAT WITCHES ARE ABROAD IN THE VILLAGE. THEIR LEADER, THE BEAUTIFUL AND VINDICTIVE ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, HOPES FOR REVENGE AGAINST ELIZABETH PROCTOR, FOR WHOSE SERVICE SHE WAS DISMISSED AFTER HAVING HAD AN AFFAIR WITH ELIZABETH'S HUSBAND, JOHN. AS MORE ACCUSATIONS ARE MADE, AND MANY, INCLUDING ELIZABETH, ARRESTED, JOHN DECIDES WHETHER TO LIVE AND MAKE A LIVING FOR HIS CHILDREN EVEN IF IT MEANS SWEARING TO A VICIOUS LIE, OR GOING TO HIS DEATH RATHER THAN DENY THE TRUTHS. |
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