Begin your journey through Arthur Miller's masterpiece with Episode 1 of The Literary Deep Dive's exploration of The Crucible. Host Richard Backus from University Teaching Edition reveals why Miller risked everything to write this devastating play about the Salem witch trials—and how he used 1692 to expose the witch hunts happening in 1950s America.

Discover how a young playwright who survived the Great Depression became America's most celebrated dramatist, then deliberately made himself a target by challenging McCarthyism at its peak. Explore the four enduring themes that make The Crucible essential reading: the conflict between integrity and survival, the mechanics of mass hysteria, the corruption of authority, and the devastating price of truth.

This episode examines both historical contexts—Salem in 1692 and McCarthy's America in 1952—showing how fear transforms communities and why this 72-year-old play remains urgently relevant today. Whether you're studying the play for school, revisiting a classic, or discovering it for the first time, this deep dive illuminates why The Crucible still shakes audiences and asks the most difficult question: when everyone around you is lying, what does it cost to tell the truth?

Part 1 of 4 in The Literary Deep Dive series on The Crucible.