In his 1953 play the crucible playwright arthur miller employs a fictionalized account of massachusetts bay colonists accused of witchcraft in 1692 as a metaphor for government persecution of suspected communists during the mid 20th century explore a character analysis of john proctor plot summary and important quotes. The crucible opened in 1952 and was considered an attack on the anti communist mccarthyism then raging in the united states miller himself was brought before congress in 1956 and convicted of contempt of congress for refusing to cooperate the conviction was eventually overturned. The crucible study guide the crucible is a fictional retelling of events in american history surrounding the salem witch trials of the seventeenth century yet is as much a product of the time in which arthur miller wrote it the early 1950s as it is description of puritan society. The crucible is a two act tony award winning play by arthur miller the play is a partially fictionalized dramatization of the salem witch trials which took place from february 1962 to may 1693 premiering in 1953 at the height of the mccarthy trials miller wrote. Summary the crucible arthur millers 1953 realist play is based on the historical events of the 1692 salem witch hunts although partially fictionalised it depicts the very real consequences of false accusations based on blind religious faith as miller displays the dangers of such baseless rumours