The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. 1692: the story is about a case of hysteria (isteria) occurred (accaduto) in Salem , Massachusetts, during the witch hunt (caccia alle straghe). The town is divided between the ones who want to know the truth (verità) for the good of their society (per il bene della società) and the ones who just want the trials (processi) for their own ends (per i propri fini). A small group of young girls are found (scoperte) while dancing naked (nude) with a black slave (schiavo nero)into the woods. They start saying that Satan has invaded them and forced them (le ha obbligate) to participate in the rites. They now want to get free (liberarsi) and tell the names of those involved (coinvolti). Many respectable names of inhabitants of the town are revealed (rivelati), also preachers (predicatori) and major landowners (ricchi proprietary terrieri). One of the protagonists, Abigail infatuated with (infatuati) a married man uses the trials (processi) to get rid (disfarsi) of his innocent wife. Arthur Miller evidenced the hypocrisy (ipocrisia) that lies (che soggiace) under the surface (superfice) of puritan morality: those who claimed (proclamavano) their innocence were executed (condannati a morte), those who did not reveal (non rivelavano) the names of people involved (coinvolti) were incarcerated and tortured, and those who admitted their guilt (colpa) were immediately freed (liberati). It is a clear allegory of the Congressional Communist witch hunts led by Senator Joe McCarthy in 1950’s America against socialists and communists sympathizers (simpatizzanti).The play was adapetd by Arthur Miller himself into a film directed by Nicholas Hytner in 1996; starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder.