Fleeing religious persectuion in England, the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony are now persecuting their own in this fictitious account of the Salem witch trials of 1692. Whether the devil himself was present in Salem or not, the townspeople managed to conjure up enough evil of their own - lies, greed, jealousy, adultery, corruption, revenge, stealing and bigotry are all represented in this gripping trial drama. The more ridiculous the accusations (and the response they brought) became, the more exasperated I was just reading about them! This book brings up so many questions about religion, government and personal integrity that could engage high school students in lively discussion. ( )

This is a great play. This play is read in all of the 11th grade English classes at my school. We always need to keep extra copies in my library because many students come back to read the play again when they are Seniors. ( )

I enjoyed the The Crucible much more then Death of a Salesman. The Crucible was more interesting to me because it was based on the Salem witch trials. These trials were a time of chaos and lies. Miller does a great job of portraying the feelings of both sides of the story; the people who started rumors and the people who were caught in them. Every moment of the play is exciting and for such a serious topic, Miller adds a lot of humor. He makes the character of Abigail and all of Abigail's friends so obsessed with naming people witches that you can't help but laugh at their accusations. The allegory of the play is what completes it. I would give this play 5 stars, it is definitely the best play i have ever read. ( )

A very suspenseful and revealing read! ( )

One of my favorite books from my sophomore English class. It's an excellent observation on the effects of fear on people, how others can manipulate that fear, and how people heroically stand up against it. ( )