--- product_id: 1363302 title: "The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts" price: "£18.14" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1363302-the-crucible-a-play-in-four-acts store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts **Price:** £18.14 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts - **How much does it cost?** £18.14 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1363302-the-crucible-a-play-in-four-acts) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A haunting examination of groupthink and mass hysteria in a rural community A Penguin Classic "I believe that the reader will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history," Arthur Miller wrote in an introduction to The Crucible , his classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. Based on historical people and real events, Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions; and when a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, self-righteous church leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial. The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor brilliantly illuminate the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence. Written in 1953, The Crucible is a mirror Miller uses to reflect the anti-communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch-hunts" in the United States. Within the text itself, Miller contemplates the parallels, writing: "Political opposition...is given an inhumane overlay, which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized behavior. A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence." For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Review: Theology a smudge on American histor. An upsetting good read. - I had to read the slowly and take notes because there were so many characters and I wanted to be able to thoughtfully follow the plot and each character's part in this misfortunate event in history. It's seemed to be quite unfortunate that the first person to make an accusation was taken at their word and some people were given the benefit of Doubt because of their position. Review: “It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions… - … and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom.” Arthur Miller wrote this play in 1953, in a not very subtle allegory about McCarthyism, another “witch-hunt” in America, but in the version of ’53, the “witches” were the communists, who were purportedly under every bed. One of my favorite quips was made by Voltaire: “It is amazing how few witches there are since we stopped burning them.” (Ain’t that the truth about the Communists too, now that they buy our T-Bills?) Miller’s play is roughly based on the historical events in Salem, Massachusetts, and environs, which occurred in 1692-93. These events are commonly called the “Salem Witch Trials.” As a result of these trials, 20 individuals would be executed, 14 of whom were women. It was one more example, but a dominant one for American history, of mass hysteria and the dangers of a theocracy, be it how a few old men understand the “will” of a bearded one on a heavenly throne, or the “will” of a slightly more abstract notion of a “free-market.” The play commences in the spring of 1692, with the Reverend Samuel Parris leaning over his daughter, Betty Parris, age 10, who is unconscious in bed. Is she physical ill or is it witchcraft? Miller thereafter introduces a number of other characters who live in, or near, this small frontier village. Abigail Williams is 17, and she had been caught dancing in the forest with Betty; in shades of Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library) , they were purportedly dancing around a cooking pot. Were there toads in it? That is one of the questions asked. Tituba is a slave from Barbados, in her 40’s, who belongs to Reverend Parris, and can speak to the dead. Ann Putnam is a twisted soul of 45 who is haunted by dreams. Her husband, Thomas Putnam, is a man of grievances; his brother-in-law was denied the minister position and he was shorted in his father’s will, in favor of his stepbrother. Proctor, the protagonist, in his middle 30’s, an independent farmer, skeptical of the preachers, and the overall role of religion, and with a sick wife, Elizabeth. Proctor has the eye for Abigail, and she flaunts it. Mary Warren, a 17 year old subservient, lonely girl, works for Proctor, and his wife, as a maid. Rebecca Nurse, 72, 11 kids, lots of grandkids, with her husband, Frances, form their own town of Topsfield, near Salem. There is the itinerant preacher, Reverend Hale, and, the actually judges and bailiffs. Like that proverbial cooking pot in the forest, the above characters form a heady mixture, with those eternal concerns of money, community status, power, and sex. Miller brilliantly stirs the pot. Abigail Williams is “not without sin,” to use the Biblical phrase, but she is the prime stone thrower, hurling the charge of “witchcraft,” while manipulating a youthful “Amen” chorus. Such charges fall upon the fertile ground of “land-lust,” with the principles being the Putnam’s and the Nurse’s. And there is just plain ol’ lust, between Proctor and Abigail. Miller does “nuance” by having Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, state: “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.” The power of hysteria is incisively depicted in the scene where Abigail sees “the bird,” and Mary Warren recants. It requires the abuse of authority, in terms of power-crazed judges, to fulfill the tragedy. In one of the asides, Miller states: “… the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together…the witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom.” History does not repeat, but it does rhyme, as the old quip has it. Murky, no doubt forever, “Operation Phoenix” in Vietnam led to the death of truly an uncounted number of Vietnamese civilians, with an estimate as high as 50,000 in Binh Dinh province alone. That “pot” was spiced up by Americans who could not speak the language, but were all too willing to accept the word of one Vietnamese farmer against another, who was denounced as “a communist.” Rhyming again in Afghanistan, where such farmer denunciations of “terrorists” lead to an all-expenses paid trip to Gitmo. And as I write this, the Democratic Party in the USA is searching for “witches” to explain its recent electoral loss, and coming full circle as it were, a leading “witch” is a former Russian commie. Miller has written a play for all the ages, and provided an eternal lament that is the subject line. 5-stars, plus. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #9,083 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Drama & Play Anthologies (Books) #160 in Classic Literature & Fiction #804 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 9,670 Reviews | ## Images ![The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/810RmfqB0bL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Theology a smudge on American histor. An upsetting good read. *by B***N on April 7, 2026* I had to read the slowly and take notes because there were so many characters and I wanted to be able to thoughtfully follow the plot and each character's part in this misfortunate event in history. It's seemed to be quite unfortunate that the first person to make an accusation was taken at their word and some people were given the benefit of Doubt because of their position. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “It is still impossible for man to organize his social life without repressions… *by J***I on December 14, 2016* … and the balance has yet to be struck between order and freedom.” Arthur Miller wrote this play in 1953, in a not very subtle allegory about McCarthyism, another “witch-hunt” in America, but in the version of ’53, the “witches” were the communists, who were purportedly under every bed. One of my favorite quips was made by Voltaire: “It is amazing how few witches there are since we stopped burning them.” (Ain’t that the truth about the Communists too, now that they buy our T-Bills?) Miller’s play is roughly based on the historical events in Salem, Massachusetts, and environs, which occurred in 1692-93. These events are commonly called the “Salem Witch Trials.” As a result of these trials, 20 individuals would be executed, 14 of whom were women. It was one more example, but a dominant one for American history, of mass hysteria and the dangers of a theocracy, be it how a few old men understand the “will” of a bearded one on a heavenly throne, or the “will” of a slightly more abstract notion of a “free-market.” The play commences in the spring of 1692, with the Reverend Samuel Parris leaning over his daughter, Betty Parris, age 10, who is unconscious in bed. Is she physical ill or is it witchcraft? Miller thereafter introduces a number of other characters who live in, or near, this small frontier village. Abigail Williams is 17, and she had been caught dancing in the forest with Betty; in shades of Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library) , they were purportedly dancing around a cooking pot. Were there toads in it? That is one of the questions asked. Tituba is a slave from Barbados, in her 40’s, who belongs to Reverend Parris, and can speak to the dead. Ann Putnam is a twisted soul of 45 who is haunted by dreams. Her husband, Thomas Putnam, is a man of grievances; his brother-in-law was denied the minister position and he was shorted in his father’s will, in favor of his stepbrother. Proctor, the protagonist, in his middle 30’s, an independent farmer, skeptical of the preachers, and the overall role of religion, and with a sick wife, Elizabeth. Proctor has the eye for Abigail, and she flaunts it. Mary Warren, a 17 year old subservient, lonely girl, works for Proctor, and his wife, as a maid. Rebecca Nurse, 72, 11 kids, lots of grandkids, with her husband, Frances, form their own town of Topsfield, near Salem. There is the itinerant preacher, Reverend Hale, and, the actually judges and bailiffs. Like that proverbial cooking pot in the forest, the above characters form a heady mixture, with those eternal concerns of money, community status, power, and sex. Miller brilliantly stirs the pot. Abigail Williams is “not without sin,” to use the Biblical phrase, but she is the prime stone thrower, hurling the charge of “witchcraft,” while manipulating a youthful “Amen” chorus. Such charges fall upon the fertile ground of “land-lust,” with the principles being the Putnam’s and the Nurse’s. And there is just plain ol’ lust, between Proctor and Abigail. Miller does “nuance” by having Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, state: “I have sins of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery.” The power of hysteria is incisively depicted in the scene where Abigail sees “the bird,” and Mary Warren recants. It requires the abuse of authority, in terms of power-crazed judges, to fulfill the tragedy. In one of the asides, Miller states: “… the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together…the witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom.” History does not repeat, but it does rhyme, as the old quip has it. Murky, no doubt forever, “Operation Phoenix” in Vietnam led to the death of truly an uncounted number of Vietnamese civilians, with an estimate as high as 50,000 in Binh Dinh province alone. That “pot” was spiced up by Americans who could not speak the language, but were all too willing to accept the word of one Vietnamese farmer against another, who was denounced as “a communist.” Rhyming again in Afghanistan, where such farmer denunciations of “terrorists” lead to an all-expenses paid trip to Gitmo. And as I write this, the Democratic Party in the USA is searching for “witches” to explain its recent electoral loss, and coming full circle as it were, a leading “witch” is a former Russian commie. Miller has written a play for all the ages, and provided an eternal lament that is the subject line. 5-stars, plus. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tremendous Historical Play *by B***D on July 20, 2025* I rarely read plays. But the subject matter of this one (a play about the Salem witchcraft madness!?) caught my eye so I bought this inexpensive Kindle version and read it. Wow, a powerfully written and compelling account of this tragedy (and of the perils of theocracy generally). A story fully told yet with an economy of prose that is admirable. I reserved the 5th star only because this Kindle version seems somehow machine generated without the benefit of human proofreading, there are many annoying errors that are quickly and irritatingly evident to a human reader. If you want to avoid the annoyance find a different version of this play to read. But DO read this play 👍😀 ## Frequently Bought Together - The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts - Death of a Salesman - The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic Novel) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1363302-the-crucible-a-play-in-four-acts](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1363302-the-crucible-a-play-in-four-acts) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-26*