This play is based on the real events of the Salem witch hunt however is not completely accurate by reducing the amount of girls "crying out" and that Abigail's age had been raised as she was just really eleven years old as with such other things. The play's base is still the same by showing that there were nineteen men and women convicted of witch craft that were hanged and how another man over eighty years old was pressed to death with heavy stones for not confessing whilst dozens stayed in jail for months without trials. This was all McCarthyism that was still around when The Crucible was written and was a witch hunt looking for evil which focused on Communists that they found everywhere. This was how Miller portrayed how primitive the American 1950's were by relating it to McCarthyism in the 1690's.
The basic hysteria that swept through the witch hunt was also kept that looked as it could have been due to frontier war, economic conditions, personal jealousies and even teenage boredom that lead to mad accusations, trials and executions.
John Hay Residence
Deposition of Abigail Williams v. George Jacobs, S...
John_Deere_4630_Tractor.jpgThese people were primitive in medicine and accused the devil of all illnesses or anything else that was an inconvenience. They were also puritans and older generations may have been bitter from having to move from other counties due to there rigid beliefs. All this happened between the spring and summer of 1692 in Salem, America due to congregational strife with plain back stabbing which caused life in fear.
Miller portrayed John Proctors character as kind with strong opinions and principles. He also looked hard working and although he was deeply religious he chose not to go to church regularly because he thought the "Minister was not suitable". John was definitely passionate in anything he believed in...