why is the crucible titled the crucible?

[laurenf02]

Why did Miller name the play the crucible?

What pertinence does it maintain with the play?

[rachaell02]

One possible reason the play is called the crucible is that crucible can mean a great test or trial of beleif. The whole play is a trial of the puritain faith in the literal and figurative sense.

[viveks02]

When I heard the name The Crucible, I automatically thought of the apparatus in Chemistry that can resist very high temperatures. I dont know if this was what Miller was thinking, but Salem was trying to contain all the events that were happening inside it, and tensions were rising, but Salem managed to calm it all down when the accused witches were hung.

[ajl]

Agreeing with all the posts above me, the official definitions of crucible I found were:

A crucible is a cup-shaped piece of laboratory equipment used to contain chemical compounds when heating them to very high temperatures. The receptacle is usually made of porcelain or an inert metal. (Salem is comparable to a crucible, as it was designed to be so harmonious that it was only until the tensions grew extremely hot (high) that it began to spill over)

A place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development (concentrated forces of jealousy, tension between the change in sacred to secular, and those losing power causes witchtrials)

A severe test: The witchtrials are testing all the characters, their hypocrises, beliefs, and the like- also its testing whether Salem can stand the overpowering superego and manage to revise itself before it is destroyed from within.

[michelleb07]

To elaborate on the above post about Salem being compared to a crucible, I found that the crucible is a metaphor for the crucible we use as laboratory equipment as a "melting pot". With everything being put into this metaphorical melting pot (dancing, accusations, lies, rumors, etc.) evil and hysteria overflow. This site also goes on to talk about the people of Salem needing to stay in the community because "because if they do not convict others it looks as if they themselves might have something to hide".

Also, the Crucible could be a metaphor fora melting pot of peoples' grudges which eventually escalates into an overwelming fear.

www.slashdoc.com/documents/49452

[sophied02]

www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=crucible&searchmode=none

This website shows that the word "crucible" has been thought of as a severe test or trial since 1645. This leads me to believe that the English Civil War might have had something to do with the creation of this new definition. Perhaps the old definition that the crucible is a "-shaped piece of laboratory equipment used to contain chemical compounds when heating them to very high temperatures" was applied to society when the Houses of Tudor and Lancaster were trying to find those who were being unfaithful; much like when the people of Salem were trying to find the witches among them who were deserting the Puritan religion.

[alysonm7]

Also, as discussed in class, the title The Crucible relates back to the quote from Danforth, "We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealments"(89.) Danforth is speaking of how the judges will do anything in order to find the truth. In reality, they are not helping the situation at all.

[daniellez07]

I agree with the post above me, however I do not agree with the third post that Salem is able to quell the fire by hanging those accused of witchcraft. If anything, this only puts Salem in a higher state of chaos due to tensions involving around the issue. To merely hang people because they may have a minor association with witchcraft allows the fire to continue, the only way to cease the fire would be to remove all tensions by making the situation at hand just amongst all groups, not just Hathorne and Danforth.