Dying For Dignity

Arthur Miller, one of three giants in American playwriting history of the 20th century, dedicated more than sixty creative years to the prosperity of American dramatic literature. As an outstanding drama critic, he has contributed a lot to the development of dramatic theory. However, as far as Miller's views on tragedy are concerned, most scholars focus on whether his common man can be honored as the tragic hero, and they overlook the playwright's perception of social criticism and morality in tragedy. Furthermore, The Crucible, a more obscure play than The Death of a Salesman, has long been dismissed as a political allegory; as a result it has been denied its intrinsic artistic value. With these two points in mind, the present thesis studies the play from the viewpoint of social tragedy. This study proves significant in the fact that it not only presents a comprehensive understanding about Miller's theory of tragedy, but also throws some light on The Crucible as a social tragedy, because of which the present viewers still feel fascinated.This thesis is divided into four chapters to discuss Miller's views on social tragedy in The Crucible.The first chapter consists of three parts, introducing the playwright and The Crucible. Miller's life experiences key to shaping his views on social tragedy are under the consideration of the first part. The second part concentrates on studying some crucial deviances in the play from the witch-hunt facts that are altered to fulfill playwright's artistic intention. It is followed by the literature review on The Crucible, which suggests that the play has triggered scholastic interest from the viewpoint of political, historical, gender, cultural, and theatrical study, pointing out in detail the significance of this thesis.Chapter Two analyzes the structure and plot of The Crucible. On the basis of discussing Miller's theory of drama, this chapter elaborates on his perception of social criticism and morality in tragedy. His theory on social play indicates his advocacy that while exposing evils in society, a social play is expected to depict closely the psychological perplexity of modern man when he is dealing with his family and society. The form and nature of Greek tragedy also affect Miller's recognition of tragic function. With a moralistic character, Miller proposes that the end of tragedy is to make our world better, and to have man more human. In structure, it is unveiled that The Crucible follows the pattern of traditional tragedy, under whose realistic plot the playwright has external and interior plot developing side by side. Besides, the play contains traditional tragic elements as chorus, and recognition and reversal as well. Furthermore, characters' swordplay languages also deepen the dramatic conflict between good and evil by inversing some Biblical images which can further enhance the tragic effect.In the third chapter, tragic themes are clarified in three aspects. Based on the analysis of the tragic hero, differences between Miller's protagonist and traditional heroes are elucidated. The departures from tradition lie in Miller's recognition of common man's rank and tragic flaw. Meanwhile, in the light of Jungian individuation theory, the internal cause of Proctor's death is exposed. Besides being a story of individual tragedy, The Crucible also means a social tragedy provoked by the repression of power, under which human weaknesses as hypocrisy, revenge, accusation and falsified reputation are brought to light. The last part centers on the optimistic spirit in the play. It is concluded that Miller's understanding of Proctor's death is affirmative. His case also sets an example for the man, who is striving for identity in moral disorders.The last chapter draws a conclusion about Miller's views on tragedy and the manifestations in The Crucible. It also makes a statement about the lessons the play conveys to our generation.