The Crucible (theatre)/YMMV

The Arthur Miller Play

 * Alternate Character Interpretation: The usually-omitted Act 2, Scene 2 provides a lot of additional material for some people who interpret Abigail as being completely insane, rather than coldbloodedly telling lies and playing the court to get what she wants.
 * Some people feel that Act 2, Scene 2 actually makes it easier to understand Abigail, since even though her reasons are messed up, at least she has a reason to accuse so many people. Omitting this scene and she (and the other girls) will appear to accuse these people to death for almost no reason at all other than to win over Proctor's bed. Though the scene would have averted from empathizing the extent of the coldblooded cruelty that occurred in history.
 * Applicability: When the play was staged in China in the early 1980s, people had just recovered from the pains of the "Cultural Revolution" (1966-76). In the play, they found the similarities between history and The Crucible. This explained why the play received such a warm welcome at that time.
 * Complete Monster: Judge Danforth and Judge Hawthorne go beyond redemption. Abigail's pretty loathsome too, though just how loathsome depends on your Alternative Character Interpretation.
 * Evil Is Sexy: Abigail Williams.
 * Fridge Logic: John doesn't know his wife is pregnant. Assuming they're telling the truth, how exactly would that work?
 * Historical Hero Upgrade
 * Although averted with Giles Corey, as he really did die in real life as the play portrayed, allowing his sons to keep the land that he would leave to them. By confessing or denying the accusation, his land would have been forfeit, but instead he kept silent, never affirming or denying the accusations, only asking for more weight to be pressed on him, until he was crushed to death.
 * Historical Villain Upgrade: Abigail and the judges, mainly Danforth. Since the latter was meant as a cautionary tale against what Joseph McCarthy was currently doing, it makes sense.
 * Magnificent Bastard: Abigail Williams manages to use her intelligence, her sexual attractiveness and even her sense of humour to manipulate everyone around her, even arguably managing a Karma Houdini after essentially achieving mass murder.
 * Moral Event Horizon: It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when Abigail and Danforth cross the line, but they definitely do it at some point.
 * Tear Jerker: Oh Proctor...
 * The Woobie: Proctor, Hale, and Mary. Also Rebecca, who was originally believed to be the nicest person in Salem.
 * Not to mention Elizabeth.

The Film Adaptation
Please move this to The Crucible (1996 film)/YMMV once The Crucible (1996 film) has its own page.


 * Chewing the Scenery: Proctor gets a few of these in the movie. "I say GOD IS DEAAAAAAAAAAD!" Fittingly, he is played by Daniel Day-Lewis.
 * "BECAUSE IT IS MY NAAAAAAAAME!!"
 * But then it's Daniel Day-Lewis. What do you expect?
 * Complete Monster: The film depicts Danforth in a particularly horrible light, as opposed to the Obliviously Evil Knight Templar from the play.

"Back to "