Miller exacerbates tension in Act II of “The Crucible,” which was written to indict the corruption trials taking place in it was McCarthy in America in the 1950s. In the Salem witchcraft trials the accusations were made without evidence and this led to the death of those who met an unfortunate fate in 1692 due to mass hysteria in the Salem community and Miller's work "The Crucible" is a allegory of these processes. Salem, Massachusetts was a strictly Puritan society and during the witch hunts in Salem, nineteen people were hanged on charges of being witches, one was forced to death, and thirteen died in prison. The title of the work also links to the key themes of betrayal and trust central to the story. The definitions of melting pot show this; a crucible is a heat-resistant container in which materials can be heated to very high temperatures, the high temperatures could metaphorically refer to the heated and anxiety-filled relationship between John and Elizabeth, "Proctor reacts angrily to Elizabeth when she walks away from he, after he tells her about his encounter with Abigail,' there is a lack of trust between the couple and this angers John Other definitions of "melting pot" include: crucible, a vessel in which, at high temperatures,. the impure metal is separated from the pure metal and, finally, a severe test, as of patience or faith; an impure metal separating from the pure metal could be linked to the adultery of John Proctor, who cheated on his wife Elizabeth. with his maid, suggesting that he is no longer pure as he has sinned and betrayed her trust This could also be linked to other themes, Miller could be saying that it is when people are put under extreme pressure that they reveal their true character. .. in the middle of the paper... sealed. With the help of Thanks to Miller's expert use of dramatic tools, an effective visual image is created for the audience. This allows the reader to interact with the text in all its parts, keeping us open to our interpretation and curious about the characters in the work. Tension builds at every moment with a "melting pot effect", conveying a sense of hysteria and its consequences. The characters are made to seem realistic, there is no happy ending and they are not perfect, allowing us to empathize with each. In Miller's words, "It probably would never have occurred to me to write a play about the Salem witch trials of 1692 if I hadn't seen some striking correspondences to that calamity in late 1940s America and the early 1950s,” he wrote in the book. plays to prove a point and force people to oppose McCarthyism. Works Cited The Crucible - Arthur Miller