Development of Themes in The CrucibleArthur Miller's The Crucible is a historical play, but more importantly, a social and psychological drama. The different ways that themes are developed throughout TheCrucible are through characters, plot, setting, and dialogue. The significance of the witch trials is, according to Raymond Williams, that "the moral crisis of society is made explicit, is directly staged and declared, in such a way that the quality of the whole way of life is organically present and evident in the qualities of people” (Drama from Ibsen to Brecht, 1968). For Williams, it is a dramatic device that allows the playwright to explore the forces of evil in Salem society, unleashed by the revelation of witchcraft. Rebecca, the nurse, warns that “there is tremendous danger in seeking out raging spirits.” I'm afraid of it. I fear it. Instead, let's blame ourselves! But his warning goes unheeded and a Pandora's box opens. We see the greed of Thomas Putnam; the quest for revenge against those who wronged them, led by Martha Corey and Abigail Williams; Ann Putnam's jealousy of the fertile Rebecca Nurse and Abigail's jealousy of ElizabethProctor; the ambition of Hale and Parris, both of whom seek public approval; the fear of punishment that initially motivates Abigail and the other girls; then the joy of power that they demonstrate during the trial. Above all, The Crucible investigates the mass hysteria that infects the entire community. The notion of evil is central in The Crucible. Understanding the piece without thinking about what Milleris is trying to say on the subject is not possible. It is obvious that we are dealing with wickedness as it is after all, the story of a witch trial, and one that involves much physical and spiritual cruelty. What is not so obvious is that the playwright presents two different models of evil. He shows us what people think about this, and then demonstrates that they are very wrong. They look in the wrong places, look for the wrong symptoms, pursue those who are so-called evil, and leave those who are truly evil untouched. The false model of evil is something defined by a set of external rules - not attending church regularly, not knowing the commandments, cursing, and living outside of marriage. . These are the tests that were given to defendants during the witch trials and who were found guilty. The model of good, which is still false, is that obedience to these same rules equals good. By this false model, Parris, the Putnams and the girls are all pure. We stereotype and ignore individual variations. We confuse the external spectacle with the internal truth, and we enter into the kind of nightmarish charade that