"The Crucible" by Arthur Miller.

Arthur Miller's The Crucible takes place during the 1692 witch-hunt in Salem, Massachusetts. We become acquainted with the play's protagonist, John Proctor, during the first act and learn of his past. He isn't perfect, like many of the other good people in the play, but he is still a hero and a martyr for many people. Throughout the play Miller shows how the sacrifice of human life is permitted under the guise of law and order, through the significance of the title, debates over religion and parallels with McCarthyism.
In medieval times, alchemists used crucibles to separate gold from dif…