The Crucible: form

The Crucible’s General Information

The play uses a combination of dialogue and stage directions to tell the story, a form typical for plays.
It is a four-act play, which is slightly unusual since many plays traditionally have three or five acts.

“The Crucible” uses realistic and non-realistic elements, with a focus on depicting a historical event - the Salem witch trials - in an exaggerated and symbolic way.
Through the form of an allegorical drama, Miller explores themes of hysteria, power, corruption, and repression, drawing parallels to the Communist “witch hunts” in 1950’s America.
Although set in the late 17th century, its form and themes are intentionally relevant to the 20th and 21st centuries.
Dialogue in the play often uses a stylised version of 17th-century vernacular, increasing the play’s historical authenticity.

The play also embraces the form of a moral drama, with characters facing moral dilemmas that force them to question their beliefs and loyalties.
“The Crucible” uses the dramatic form to stage the psychological and physical confines of a deeply religious and paranoid society.
Despite its historical setting, the play’s form resonates with modern audiences due to its exploration of universal, timeless themes such as fear, truth and integrity.

The tragedy of protagonist John Proctor further aligns the play with the format of traditional Greek tragedies, where characters meet a disastrous end due to their tragic flaws.