This is a list of resources for the play, Arthur Miller, the McCarthy era and 17th Century Puritanism

West Springfield High School Crucible Project.  West Springfield High School English Dept. 23 Nov 2005.  19 June 2006. http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/english/1project/crucible/crucible.htm

Miller's account of his prosecution during the McCarthy era, and his decision to write The Crucible

Miller, Arthur.  "Are You Now, or Where You Ever?" The Guardian/The Observer (on line) 17 June 2000. 3 July 2006. http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/miller-mccarthyism.html

Miller's background on the writing of the play, written after seeing the film version starring Daniel Day O'Connor and Winona Ryder. He looks back on the historical context, the writing of the play, and the reaction to it.

Miller, Arthur. "Why I Wrote The Crucible: An artist's answer to Politics". The New Yorker 21 Oct 1996. 1 July 2006. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/?020422fr_archive02

Brief background of the witch trials from the Salem Witch Museum.

D'Amario, Allison.  "The Salem Witch Trials of 1692". Salem Witch Museum. 7 July 2006. http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education/index.shtml

This is a very comprehensive site compiled for teachers, with a brief biography of Miller, synopsis of the play, historical background, study questions and further resources.

Pfister, Jere. "Arther Miller's The Crucible: A Guide for Teachers". Alley Theatre. 2005. 2 July 2006.http://www.ibiblio.org/miller/crucibleteachnotes.html

This is a list of  - drum roll, please - good essay topics for The Crucible.

"The Crucible Essay Topics". Good Essay Topics. 7 July 2006. http://www.goodessaytopics.com/the-crucible-essay-topics.html

Miller wrote that he wanted to make John Proctor a tragic hero in the style of Aristotle. See this link for the traits of a tragic hero, and decide if Proctor fits the definition.

Hibbison, E. VCCS Litonline Home Page. Virginia Community College System. 22 April 2005. 29 June 2005. http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/tragedy/aristotle.htm