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The Crucible by Arthur Miller was written during the early 1950s at the time of Senator Joseph McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee hearings on the infiltration of Communism in the United States and the loyalty to democracy of many prominent U.S. citizens. The McCarthy hearings pitted artists and performers against each other as they were called to testify about their own loyalty and what they knew about the loyalty of others. Although some critics …

…own experiences. The teacher's guide will be divided into the following sections: notes on Miller's life; a synopsis of the play; an annotated list of characters and their relationships; prereading activities and questions; during reading questions, quotations, and activities; and after reading questions and activities. The guide will star (*) those activities which are most appropriate for advanced students. Finally, a bibliography will suggest how the play can be incorporated with other works in thematic units.