The Crucible Assignment #1

Prompt:
"The Salem tragedy...is a paradox in whose grip we still live, and there is no prospect yet that we will discover its resolution."
What, according to Miller, is the "Salem tragedy" and why is it a paradox? How does he relate those times to the "modern" era?

According to Miller, the "Salem tragedy" is another name for the Witch Trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600's. Miller says that in an attempt to keep the community together, the people of Salem developed a combination of state and religious power, known as a theocracy. It is for this reason that the tragic event of the witch trials, in which many innocent people were wrongly accused of practicing witchcraft and forced to face gruesome deaths, can easily be considered a paradox. It is a paradox due to the fact that Salem was based around theocratic beliefs, beliefs of doing things as God would do them. Interestingly, everything that took place during this tragic time period is the complete opposite. While making this connection, Miller is also successful in relating this time period to more modern days. People may not be accused of witchcraft or other ridiculous claims, but to this day people all around the world are being persecuted for situations in which they may, in fact, be innocent. Therefore, what took place during the Salem Witch Trials is taking place everyday in modern society, only to a much lesser degree.