The Crucible is an allegory, which means it has layers of meaning: one literal and one or more symbolic. However, what is the literal meaning: the Red Scare or the crucible?

Author Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory for McCarthyism, a time when the Republican Senator Joseph P. McCarthy accused numerous liberal politicians and prominent figures in Hollywood of being communist sympathizers. McCarthyism was a figurative witch hunt, which corresponded to the events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, where innocent citizens were falsely accused of being involved in witchcraft. In regards to the literal meaning of the play, one could consider the Red Scare the literal aspect of the allegory, which is illustrated by the hysteria that swept through the small community of Salem. The citizens of Salem were overwhelmed with fear, and the hysteria led to more and more innocent people being accused of witchcraft. The crucible itself has symbolic meaning and represents the brewing hate, fear, and animosity that fueled the hysteria.