Ask The Puma Research Guides: The Crucible

The Crucible

Arthur Miller used his 1953 play The Crucible on The Salem Witches Trials of 1692 to comment on Senator Joe McCarthy and his Committee on Un-American Activities.

Call Numbers for Browsing the Shelves

Circulating Books – A Selected List

• Bloom, Harold (ed.). Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. 1996.

                          Call Number: PS3525.I5156 C732 1996

• Bloom, Harold (ed.). Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. 1999.

                           Call Number: PS3525.I5156 C7334 1999

• Ferres, John H. (ed.). Twentieth-Century Interpretations of the Crucible. 1972.

                           Call Number: PS3525.I5156 C734

• Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. 1953.

                           Call Number: PS3525.I5156 C7 1976

• Siebold, Thomas (ed.). Readings on The Crucible. 1999.

                              Call Number: PS3525.I5156 C738 1999

LINCCWeb online catalog – Search Terms

• Miller, Arthur

Reference Materials

• Contemporary Literary Criticism – Call Number: REF PN771.C59

o        Vol. 1, pg. 216-7, 219

o        Vol. 2, pg. 278, 280

o        Vol. 6, pg. 326, 328-32

o        Vol. 10, pg. 342, 346

o        Vol. 15, pg. 372-3

o        Vol. 26, pg. 312-5, 319, 324-5, 327

o        Vol. 47, pg. 251, 254, 256

o        Vol. 78, pg. 287-329

o        Vol. 179, pg. 199, 207

• Critical Survey of Drama, Second Revised Edition. – Call Number: REF PN1625. C68 2003

o        Vol. 5, pg. 2352-2353

• Drama Criticism. – Call Number: REF PN1625.D72

o        Vol. 1, pg. 294, 296-7, 299-303, 325-44

• Drama for Students – Call Number: REF PN1601.D595

o        Vol. 3, pgs. 120-40

• Literature and Its Times – Call Number: REF PN50.L574 1997

o        Vol. 1, pg. 78-86

• Masterplots II: Drama Series – Call Number: REF PN6112.5.M37 1990

o        Vol. 1, pg. 414-9

Research Databases

To access Valencia’s research databases, open your Atlas account, select ‘Search the Library’, then select ‘Databases A-Z’.

• Academic Search Complete
• JSTOR
• Literature Resources from Gale
• Films on Demand 

Films on Demand- Database 

• The Crucible: Mary's Deposition (SEGMENT)
  • From Title: The Crucible
  • DESCRIPTION: John submits Mary's deposition, which declares that she was coerced to accuse people by Abigail. Abigail denies Mary's assertions that they are pretending, and stands by her story.
• The Crucible: Epilogue (SEGMENT)

  • From Title: The Crucible

  • DESCRIPTION: The ramifications of the trail in Massachusetts are described.

• "The Crucible" and McCarthyism (SEGMENT)

  • From Title: Arthur Miller: An Interview

  • DESCRIPTION: The analogy between Salem's witchcraft trials and McCarthyism is clear-cut in "The Crucible." In an excerpt from the play, John Proctor has the same understanding of oppression that Miller has. A BBC Production.

• Author Miller: An Interview (FULL VIDEO) 

  • DESCRIPTION: In this exclusive interview, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Arthur Miller speaks about his life and career. Beginning in New York, Miller traces his early years through the Great Depression, offering insights into how this lean time influenced his work. A portion of the program is devoted to a discussion of the 1950s McCarthy hearings and their impact on the development of Miller’s masterwork, The Crucible. Film excerpts from Death of a Salesman, After the Fall, and A View from the Bridge are interwoven with Miller’s observations on the political and poetic nature of his plays and on the art of writing. A BBC Production. (76 minutes)

This Research Guide is designed to help users find information on a particular topic within the Valencia College East Campus Library.  This is by no means a comprehensive list of resources and other resources may be available on this topic.  Please check LINCCWeb, Valencia East’s online catalog, to verify the availability of circulating books within the library.  Feel free to ask a librarian for help if you need further assistance.

Copyright 2006

Valencia College East Campus Library

Last Revised on July 27, 2009