The Crucible will forever be a classic because of its intriguing story based on a true event. The Salem witch trials of 1692 are depicted as an adulterous romance turned into a vicious revenge plot. The Crucible evokes the horrific fates that led to the deaths of so many innocents, but Arthur Miller does not describe the entire bloodbath that was the Salem witch trials. The play once performed on Broadway, which captured the hearts of millions, does not do justice to the anguish endured by the residents of Salem. However, if his goal was to entertain us, he certainly succeeded. In Salem, nineteen accused witches were hanged at Gallows Hill, four others died in prison, and a lone man was pressed to death because he had not pleaded guilty. The Salem Witch Trials were a complete travesty. Sometime in February, a young girl became seriously ill, her symptoms leading scientists to believe she was suffering from a condition called "convulsive ergotism" caused by "ingestion of rye - eaten as a grain and as an ingredient common bread - infected with ergot This scientific conclusion explains the child's chaotic behavior However, in the 1600s, science was not as sophisticated as it is today, and so,. when her symptoms were similar to those of a Boston Irish girl suspected of witchcraft, people began to believe the worst. When other playmates began exhibiting the same symptoms, a doctor was brought in to examine the girls. His conclusion was that the problems were of a "supernatural origin", or in simpler terms, that the witches were targeting children. The number of girls showing symptoms continued to increase until it reached seven. Similar to the. play "The girls contorted themselves into grotesque poses, fell into frozen postures and composed...... middle of paper ... the whole story of John Proctor, the young farmer and Abigail, having an affair was only Miller's way of creatively explaining why there was enough hatred for these hangings and torture to occur. When in reality, Abigale never worked for John and they lived quite far from each other. John was in fact a 60-year-old tavern keeper, which makes the affair quite improbable. As the story flowed and managed to captivate us emotionally. It is impossible to overlook the ability he had to use the language of the times, bringing the story to life in such an authentic mansion. Its aim was to entertain and it succeeded, but due to the lack of certain truths it lost some validity among more critical readers. On the other hand, no one can blame him, some of the best books, movies, plays or even TV shows are based on real events and turned into non-fiction..