The Crucible describes the town of Salem at a time when witchcraft was considered dangerous and was heavily feared by nearly all. Anyone suspected of witchcraft would face execution without much resistance. The story follows a multitude of characters, with a certain focus being on Abigail Williams. Abigail is a girl who was caught dancing in the night in a forest with other girls by a different member of Salem. The case is nearly instantly brought upon the court, and Abigail does her best to deflect the blame of the case to others.
The play discusses the role of fear in community-based irrational thinking, alongside the use of others’ fears as a means to support self-interests. The play discusses the impact of self-interest leading to harmful consequences to the lives of others, including unwarranted death. A community may no longer need rationality and just decisions if their beliefs lead them to an opinion that may not be the logical one. There are far more motifs in the play than I have discussed in this review, so I recommend watching or reading the play if you are interested. The play is an entertaining read, so I will give it a rating of five out of five marks.