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Crucible
Crucible | Arthur Miller
103 posts | 565 read | 4 reading | 71 to read
A haunting examination of groupthink and mass hysteria in a rural community "I believe that the reader will discover here the essential nature of one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history," Arthur Miller wrote in an introduction to "The Crucible," his classic play about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. Based on historical people and real events, Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. In the rigid theocracy of Salem, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town's most basic fears and suspicions; and when a young girl accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch, self-righteous church leaders and townspeople insist that Elizabeth be brought to trial. The ruthlessness of the prosecutors and the eagerness of neighbor to testify against neighbor brilliantly illuminate the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence. Written in 1953, "The Crucible" is a mirror Miller uses to reflect the anti-communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch-hunts" in the United States. Within the text itself, Miller contemplates the parallels, writing: "Political opposition...is given an inhumane overlay, which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized behavior. A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence." For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators."
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JacintaMCarter
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

#2023Book66
This continues to be one of my favorite books to teach.

dabbe YES! 🤩🤩🤩 6mo
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Sharpeipup
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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I cannot recall studying any plays in high school so I‘m rectifying that finally.

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AshleyHoss820
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

All right, listen...Arthur Miller was a douche (I've heard, but I haven't looked too hard into this), but MAN could he write a play. Remember the historical significance of Miller writing this as a covert stab at McCarthyism. The speed with which one can be swept up so quickly in mass hysteria, the lack of control a person has against their government/the mob. It's so insightful and terrifying how relevant this play still is. #RoryGilmoreChallenge

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Goleemn
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

I had forgotten how good a playwright Miller is. The twists, turns, lies, and judgment of Salem were brought home in this classic. I read it to help my daughter with homework, worried I would struggle, and ended up thoroughly enjoying the play. Time went by so fast as I revisited 1692 Salem!

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IndoorDame
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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1. The Crucible. I found it okay on first read, but it was one of those that got assigned several years in school and every time I read it or saw a movie adaptation I saw less and less in it where you‘d hope to see more and more.

2. Spare, I‘m Glad my Mom Died, Friends Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing (there are plenty of celebrity memoirs I‘ve enjoyed, but it‘s not my genre enough that the hype around a book will pull me in)

#ihavequestions

RaeLovesToRead Awesome... although, I must admit cheer curiosity got the better of me and I got a copy of Spare! 🙈🙈 Not usually my genre 😄 14mo
SamAnne Yup. No Spare. 14mo
dabbe I think sometimes the biggest disservice an English teacher can give her kids is making them READ a drama when they're supposed to be SEEN. I know it's important that they read, but I always had the film version, too, and we'd go act by act, viewing and then reading. I think they tolerated it more that way. Totally agree with your #2, too! 😊 14mo
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IndoorDame @RaeLovesToRead curiosity has been responsible for many great reads! I tend to trust that initial curiosity a lot when it strikes me 😄 14mo
IndoorDame @dabbe SO agree that dramas are presented wrong in many of our classrooms! I‘m all for reading (obvs 😁) but you miss a lot by being too married to that. 14mo
RaeLovesToRead I doubt I'll like it, but how often do we get so up close and personal with what it's like to be a royal! 😅 14mo
IndoorDame @RaeLovesToRead haha. It‘s a fascinating perspective. I‘m not surprised it‘s so popular! 14mo
TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead As far as Spare is concerned if you‘ve suffered childhood trauma and read it you‘ll feel seen. A few of us in a group all read it -all had childhood severe trauma -all felt seen. So it‘s not the royal part that drew me (although I love it, 🙃) it was the seeing that trauma is so misunderstood still and we‘re all the same . @IndoorDame . 14mo
TheBookHippie I agree with number one!! BLECH! 14mo
RaeLovesToRead @TheBookHippie I shall be reading it soon! 😊 Will review it when I do! 14mo
TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead I‘ll be interested to see your review I was the youngest in our group and I‘m not young! (Harry is my daughters age) 14mo
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dabbe
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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dabbe
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

Always read this during the Puritanism unit with the juniors. Not the easiest play to read, but the kids ended up loving it. Then, I would show the 1992 movie starring be-still-my heart Daniel Day Lewis (who married Miller's daughter!) and Winona Ryder; you could hear a pin drop on the carpeting during the movie! Even though it's historically inaccurate, it is DEAD-ON accurate with what a true witchhunt is, both literally and metaphorically.

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TEArificbooks
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Mehso-so

It is historical inaccurate. However, it does show the flaws in the court system and mania of the time. #teammonstermash #scarathlon @StayCurious #witchathon #pointathon #spookoween #31by31 @TheSpineView @Catsandbooks @DieAReader

1,100 pts

Catsandbooks 🙌🏼🦇💜 1y
TheSpineView Awesome 1y
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 1y
40 likes3 comments
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JacintaMCarter
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

#2022Book100
This was my fifth time teaching this play, and I still love it.

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Kimberlone
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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#Scarathlon #TeamSlaughter #DailyPhotoPrompt #Day24 #Lies

Abigail‘s #lies cause a lot of problems for the residents of Salem, Massachusetts.

vivastory I read this years & years ago. I have been thinking of revisiting it. 1y
Kimberlone @vivastory it‘s so good! I also love the film adaptation with Winona and Daniel Day Lewis 1y
vivastory The adaptation is wonderful! 1y
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Bookishgal71
Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Mehso-so

I‘m reading this alongside my daughter for her AP Language class. It‘s not my favorite. But it goes along nicely with #TeamMonsterMash and the #Scarathlon2022. LOTS of word search words. Also, it is orange and today is the 18th, so I‘m stacking points on this one!. @StayCurious

TEArificbooks I am reading this one too with my son‘s AP lit class. 1y
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TEArificbooks
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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My kids picked their Halloween books for literature (we homeschool so they get a say in what we learn about). They both picked books about the Salem witch trials so we will be doing a unit! Very fitting with Hocus Pocus 2 coming out. October will be full of witchy reads, fiction and nonfiction. And they can go towards #scarathlon

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bela_deters
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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I got to read as Elizabeth Proctor and that slayed, so here was my favorite line. “It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery… it was a cold house I kept!”

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vivastory
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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I read Miller's play in school & lately have thought of rereading it. If I do I will probably buy it in the wonderful Penguin #Orange edition. The only Penguin Orange that I own is Shirley Jackson's & there are a few others that I'd like to collect.
#GratefulHarvest @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

kspenmoll Lovely edition! Went to Salem MA this past which has stone slab seats commemorating each persons death. October & visited The Witches Memorial 2y
vivastory @kspenmoll I was there years ago. It was really interesting. 2y
Eggs 🧡🖤🧡 2y
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kspenmoll
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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#haunted #incostume #witchery #Salem
Spent yesterday in Salem MA with my husband, son, 2 sisters in law. What a fantastic day!!!! So much to see, so much to do! #halloween

Lindy 🧙‍♀️👀 2y
Gissy So nice! I hope I could visit it someday during this time 🧙🏼‍♀️ 🐈‍⬛ 🖤🖤🖤 2y
Suet624 Busy time of year for that town I bet. 2y
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TheBookHippie Love!!! 🖤🖤🖤 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome!! 🖤🧙🏻 2y
kspenmoll @Suet624 It was wild but such fun! Witches, zombies, ghosts, etc. We loved it! Beautiful day as well, warm & sunny. 2y
kspenmoll @Gissy I hope you can!!!🖤🖤 2y
kspenmoll @Lindy @TheBookHippie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect Halloween day! 🖤🖤🖤 2y
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JacintaMCarter
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

#2021Book89
I've loved this play since I first read it in high school and it's one of my favorite things to teach.

Erinreadsthebooks I love teaching it, too! 2y
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DarkPizza
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
Pickpick

It was good. I wasn't blown away, probably bc I already knew a lot about the Salem Witch Trials, but it was good. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Not much more to comment on. I'm looking forward to watching the movie and hope to get to see the play live someday.

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KimberlyJuracich
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
Pickpick

I know this is a book you either love or hate because most schools make you read it. I personally loved it.

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JacintaMCarter
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

#2020Book42
I've loved this play since I first read it in high school and it's one of my favorite things to teach.

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Annie1215
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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I can‘t think of a better topic/ plot that better represents this. The witchcraft hysteria of 1692 illustrates perfectly how dangerous it can be to get swept up and fixating on one thing. I could talk LITERALLY all day about the history of this as I‘m deeply obsessed with Salem‘s history. The townspeople overwhelmingly and blindly believing unfounded claims distracts from even more dangerous realities. #tarottakeover

Erinsuereads Such a great choice! I can't believe I didn't think of thus one. I just finished it thus summer. I'll be sure to tag you tomorrow 4y
DaveGreen7777 Oh, wow, this choice was perfect! 😧 Bravo! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 4y
Annie1215 Wow @ErinSueMreads @DaveGreen7777 you guys are really validating my English degree lol. I could never have predicted it‘s use in this way; I wish I‘d had this as a selling point to my dad when I switched my major 😂 thanks Litsy! 4y
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lonelybluenights
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Remembering that time I played Mary Warren in a production of this play.

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bookish_words
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

The pacing is good, the plot is great and the characters are developed perfectly. I particularly like what Miller did with John Proctor‘s character, I enjoyed analyzing his actions in comparison to his concept of himself. Abagail is also interesting to analyze but I found her to be a less complex character and I was content with what happens to her in the end. John Proctor also got a fitting end but in a different way than Abigail.

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kgriffith
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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“One cannot help noting that one of his lines has never yet raised a laugh in any audience that has seen this play; it is his assurance that ‘We cannot look to superstition in this. The devil is precise.‘“
(I used talk-to-text for that quote and “any” was heard as “Eddie” — I don‘t hab a code id my doze, but allergies. 😝)

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kgriffith
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Starting this one for class on Wednesday...

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DebinHawaii
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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#FebruaryFeels #FavePlay

Catching up from yesterday. In junior high we read The Crucible & then had a field trip to watch the play performed in Portland. While maybe not my all-time favorite play (that is probably Much Ado About Nothing or The Importance of Being Earnest or maybe Daddy Long Legs? 🤔), it made a big impression on me & is definitely a favorite.

I used random online photos for my collage.

Erinreadsthebooks Love The Crucible! 4y
Eggs Excellent choice 4y
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JacintaMCarter
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

#2020Book7
I just finished teaching this to my juniors. I‘m not sure if they loved it as much as I do. This is the bulletin board in my classroom. The fine print says “Salem witches were hanged, not burned.”

Kimberlone I have a tshirt my sister gave me that says the same thing! 4y
Cinfhen 🙌🏻 4y
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Leftcoastzen
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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On this date in 1956 Arthur Miller appeared and testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities.He did answer questions about his own behavior and actions but refused to “name names” of friends and colleagues who might share his interests and activities.He was found guilty of contempt of Congress.His beautiful wife (what‘s her name again?)😉attended the hearing risking her own career.

rretzler Wow - she looks so young in that picture! 5y
Leftcoastzen @rretzler This photo is from 1956. I always feel she looks younger with less makeup. 5y
marleed I bought a 1954 home nearer the core of the city a year ago. It seemed wrong not to have a Marilyn Monroe coffee table book in my front room. I was so excited when I thrifted one for 2 bucks. Now I have my eye out for Jackie O! 5y
Leftcoastzen @marleed That‘s cool ! keeping it mid century! 5y
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CoffeeNBooks
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Cinfhen Good one!!!!!! 5y
RohitSawant Nice! 👏🏼👏🏼 5y
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EmilieGR
Crucible | Arthur Miller
Pickpick

Better seen than read

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consonantia
Crucible | Arthur Miller
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[John Proctor] was the kind of man—powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led—who cannot refuse support to partisans without drawing their deepest resentment. In Proctor‘s presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly—and a Proctor is always marked for calumny therefore.

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StephanieMarie
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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At a play with my husband :) I've never read or seen this before so should be interesting!

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Blaire
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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The people of Salem believed that the women of the town were witches and on #highwaytohell #marchintothe70s @Lizpixie @Cinfhen

Cinfhen Haven‘t read this one 😔 5y
Blaire @Cinfhen it was required high school reading for me. I saw the play performed in law school and thought it was great. 5y
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Lyn-Mara
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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“I saw Goody Proctor with the devil!” 🌘 This cover was too gorgeous in its simplicity to pass up. #decoratewithbooks

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nibech
Crucible | Arthur Miller
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I didn't reach my goal of reading 15 books this year, but I got a few books under my belt nonetheless!

https://www.goodreads.com/Nibech

#goodreads #readingchallenge #yearinbooks

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LiterRohde
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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“For murder, she‘s charged! For the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam‘s babies.”

#QuotsyDec18 | 9: #Charge

📷: Made with Typorama

LauraJ Marvelous! 5y
LiterRohde Thanks. I enjoy deciding on and designing quotes for this challenge. 5y
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Centique
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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#nofemmeber #illmakeyousorry

Better not upset young Abigail ladies... from the look on her face I reckon she could cause a mite of trouble.

zsuzsanna_reads Excellent choice! 5y
batsy Good one 5y
Cinfhen Ha, that‘s giving good face...love it!!! 5y
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CoffeeNBooks Good choice! 5y
Billypar Yeah that stare definitely fits the prompt! This was my favorite play in high school- we were assigned parts in English class to read and I was excited to get John Proctor- my only starring role 😎 5y
Centique @Billypar that‘s so cool! I bet you did a great job 👏👏👏 5y
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mrp27
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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#octoberputaspellonyou #iputaspellonyou

Another autumnal favorite that takes place during the witch hunts of Salem Massachusetts.

batsy Happy birthday! 🎂🎉 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Happy Birthday!! I hope it‘s awesome 💗💗💗💗 5y
mrp27 Thank you for the birthday wishes!! @batsy @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 5y
BookNAround I used to teach this one and my youngest played John Proctor in a production two years ago. He hates this play so I just chuckled when he had to read it this year for school. (I think it‘s masterful but he doesn‘t care what I think. 😉) 5y
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CoffeeNBooks
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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I teach this book in my AP Literature class every year! #OctoberPutASpellOnYou #Salem @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkoiss

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘m going to look this one up!! 5y
Kat_H My favourite play of all time! 5y
Carolhreads I read this play in class in high school and then watched the movie with Winona Ryder i loved the moved it was so good !!!! 5y
CoffeeNBooks @Carolhreads I haven't seen the movie- I'll have to check it out! 5y
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BookNAround
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Curriculum night at the high school. Calgon take me away! Tagged one of the books my junior will read this year, one I coincidentally taught my college freshmen many, many years ago. (I held my classes on this play in the campus graveyard. Kid will have to make do with generic American high school.)

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LikelyLibrarian
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Reading this with my World Lit students, and I can‘t get the song from The Hunger Games out of my head...

Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree

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E.gordon
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Trying to get through The Crucible for my English class at school my cat decided she wanted to nap with me

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PixieDust
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

Such an important and absorbing read. I can‘t believe I went so long without reading it!! It left me wanting to read more about McCarthyism and the Salem witch trials...

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Lcsmcat
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Just a few of my #paperbacks that are pretty old. #oldcoolbooks @Linsy

tournevis Looking at Steppenwolf, I don't remember the book having that many naked women. Haaah! the 1970s! Good times. 6y
Lcsmcat @tournevis Anything to sell books, non? 6y
Linsy I love seeing all of these old covers. 💕 6y
68 likes3 comments
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Librarybelle
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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I‘m so happy I could grab this book during my recent Book Outlet splurge! Love the #cover of the Penguin Orange Classics! #maylovesclassics

And, to stretch the prompt a bit, the Salem Witch Trials were based on lies and hype and prejudices and the list goes on and on. An unfunny joke that robbed the lives of dozens of individuals. Far stretch, but my brain isn‘t quite working this morning. #thejokerandthethief #getmovin

Bambolina_81 Great cover! 6y
ValerieAndBooks I actually ordered more of these covers yesterday from Book Outlet 🙊🙈 6y
Cinfhen That is an awesome cover 🧡🧡🧡 6y
Librarybelle @Bambolina_81 @ValerieAndBooks @Cinfhen It‘s the best marketing device by Penguin! And Valerie...it‘s dangerous to know Book Outlet has more! I also purchased The Joy Luck Club in the Penguin Classics cover, but now my interest is piqued in more! 😂 6y
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BeansPage
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Woo hoo!!! ✨🎊👊🏻👏🏻😃🤘🏻💪🏻🎈🎉 Nailed it!!! #4in48Readathon COMPLETE! I'm gonna go for 5th book just for a bonus 😁

wanderinglynn Congrats! 🎉👏🏻🎇🎆🙌🏻 6y
tammysue Congratulations!! 🎊🎉😁💕 6y
asiriusreader 🎉🎉🎉🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y
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Jazruiz.2014 Congrats 6y
Andrew65 Well done and with so much time to spare! 🎉🎉🎉🍾🍾🍾🍾🥂🙌🙌🙌 6y
hes7 Yay! 🎉 6y
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BeansPage
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Pickpick

A rare case where the film was true to the book (or play in this case). Easy to read but could be very difficult to follow if you are not familiar with the characters. There are many characters and they all play significant roles. Though not 100% historically accurate it is still beautifully retold in a way that's much more reader friendly. This is one of those classics that everyone should read at least once.

hissingpotatoes Just a couple days ago I tried listening to the audiobook and couldn't follow it. I definitely need a print version. 6y
BeansPage @hissingpotatoes I definitely recommend looking into watching the film with Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis. It is extremely good and is true to the book. It will help you to understand what is going on a bit better. 6y
hissingpotatoes @Syndelle777 Thanks for the rec! 6y
staci.reads @Syndelle777 @hissingpotatoes Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay for the movie too. That's why it's so well done (and his son-in-law playing John Procter might have had something to do with it too ☺). 6y
hissingpotatoes @staci.reads Ooh that's promising! 6y
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BeansPage
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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This is it everyone! The home stretch of the #4in48Readathon . We're all doing so great, I know we can finish with flying colors 🎉 Let's do this guys! 🤘🏻

Samplergal I gotta pick smaller books....😂 6y
BeansPage @Samplergal Yea small, easy reads are good for this challenge. Was meant to knock a few small reads off our TBR lists. 6y
CindyMyLifeIsLit I LOVE this play!! Proctor is such an awesome character. I‘m very partial to allegories! 😁 6y
BeansPage @CindyMyLifeIsLit I really enjoy the film. Daniel Day Lewis makes an awesome Proctor! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 6y
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Sue
The Crucible | Arthur Miller
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Waiting for the action to start ...