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At a Glance:
Full Title
Author Arthur Miller
In-depth Facts:
Type of work Play
Genre Tragedy, Allegory, Historical Fiction
Language English
Time and place written America, early 1950s
Date of first publication
Publisher Viking Press
Narrator The play is occasionally interrupted by an omniscient, third-person narrator who fills in the background for the characters.
Climax John Proctor tells the Salem court that he committed adultery with Abigail Williams.
Protagonist John Proctor
Antagonist Abigail Williams
Setting (time)
Setting (place)Salem, a small town in colonial Massachusetts
Point of view
Falling actionThe events from John Proctor’s attempt to expose Abigail in Act IV to his decision to die rather than confess at the end of Act IV.
TensePresent
Foreshadowing The time frame of the play is extremely compressed, and the action proceeds so quickly that there is little time for foreshadowing.
Tone Serious and tragic—the language is almost biblical.
Themes Intolerance; hysteria; reputation
Motifs Empowerment; fear of the unknown; accusation, confession, legal proceedings in general
Symbols The witch trials and McCarthyism; hot and cold; official documentation
