Although the events of the play The Crucible are based on the events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, Miller was liberal in his fictionalization of those events. For example, many of the accusations of witchcraft in the play are driven by the affair between farmer, husband, and father John Proctor (Arthur Kennedy), and the Minister’s teenage niece Abigail Williams (Madeleine Sherwood); however, in real life Williams was probably about eleven at the time of the accusations and Proctor was over sixty, which makes it most unlikely that there was ever any such relationship.

The “important theme” that Miller was writing about was clear to many observers in 1953 at the play’s opening. It was written in response to Senator McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee’s crusade against communist sympathizers.

The following links to an article written by Miller about the play.