The meaning of crucible is "to purify something by heat or pressure." This is a reference to hell and the heat it contains, as well as the pressure there is in not going there or being sent there for your sins. There are many characters within the play who could be "purified", one of these is John Proctor. This is the main character of the play and within it he plays the part of the tragic hero. He's basically a good man, but he has committed acts of lust, so he has this on his conscience for most of his life. Towards the idea of ​​his purification, Proctor redeems himself at the end of the play by refusing the opportunity for a public confession and maintaining his good name until his death. His purification lies in realizing his flaws but upholding his honest and good nature, even though it is the cause of his death. Miller's intentions in writing The Crucible were to present audiences with a parody of the political climate of the time, without directly showing the causes of today's disruptive political context. Miller produced the work as an allegorical representation of HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) and how it treated others and "upheld" the law. In doing this Miller had to be careful about how he wrote the piece, as a direct link to HUAC could make him appear to be a target for the organization. An overview of the play might be: In Salem, Massachusetts, a group of young girls went dancing in the woods with a black slave named Tituba. This was seen by the town reverend, Reverend Parris (he was also the father and uncle of two dancing girls). The following morning two girls were found in a coma, one with her eyes open, the other with her eyes closed, but not...... middle of paper ......ces: when he was convicted of contempt of Congress in May 1957 by HUAC. However, all this ranking and authority is balanced by John Proctor and how he handles the situation. It does this by tearing up the warrant and going against what the court has the power to do under the law. “You will not chain Elizabeth” His aggressive behavior goes against the court and their seemingly calm demeanor, even as they are becoming increasingly aware that many people in Salem are starting to question the reliability of the court and the way they are prosecuting , trying and arresting the suspects. Proctor stabilizes the moral balance in this scene. The chaos of it all shows how ridiculous the whole scenario is, not just Elizabeth's arrest, but suspecting anyone of this crime and how they use circumstantial evidence to sentence those who are innocent to death..