The story of the allegorical drama "The Crucible" is set in Salem in 1692. The witch trials that actually took place there at the end of the 17th century greatly occupied the author's mind.

He saw in this case the trial of fanaticism and through his work criticized the violation of political freedoms, introducing the term "witch hunt" into the 20th century. He explains: "When the atmosphere is charged, fear takes shape. The people of Salem saw themselves as holders of a superior truth. If the light of this truth went out, they believed that the end of the world would come. When you have an ideological world that considers itself so pure, it is natural to tend towards extremes."

The hero of "The Crucible," John Proctor, becomes a suspect due to a personal mistake - a momentary act of marital infidelity - in a world of dogmatists.