The meaning of the title of The Crucible

The title of the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is extremely appropriate as it refers to a number of critical themes explored throughout the play. A crucible can either be defined as a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures; or a place or occasion of severe test or trial. Both these definitions can be applied to the meaning of the tile of the play, The Crucible. The village of Salem, being a strict puritan community, could be described as the 'container', containing the deeply religious and God fearing people of Salem. Sparked by the the hysteria and associating lies, the community of Salem is finally brought to a "melting point" where they allow themselves to become caught up in the deceit and paranoia of the trials. The accusations of the witch trials could also be described as a severe test. To begin with, social outcasts of society were the only people accused of witchcraft, but as the trials evolved, more respectable members of the community, such as Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor, began to be accused. These characters were put through a test of their faith in God, and in John Proctor's case, faith in himself. By the end of the trials, their faith was beginning to waver as more and more people were executed; however, Proctor in particular was able to endure the test by finally seeing the good in himself, and therefore refusing to sign a false confession. Proctor realises this when he explains his refusal to sign the confession, "... I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor." (p.125). Thus, perhaps the meaning behind the choice of title could be interpreted in a number of different ways, as it both refers the fiery events of the trials as a whole, as well as more personal tests of faith experienced by various characters in the play.