Celebrating Individual Conscience in a Tragic Way——Moral Theme of Arthur Miller＇s The Crucible

摘要

Miller wrote The Crucible as a response to McCarthyism, which yet is not the theme of this play. In The Crucible, Miller wanted to go beyond the discovery of guilt, to a study of the results of such guilt. Due to the historical background, Miller calls fo%1953年,阿瑟·米勒将一桩发生于17世纪的荒谬捉巫案创作成了回应麦卡锡主义的剧本《严峻的考验》。在此剧本中,米勒试图超越罪恶本身的探讨而来观察罪恶带来的结果。在道德的伪装下,人们趁机发泄自己的嫉妒和敌意,向同胞肆意报复。在此背景之下,米勒通过剧本召唤理想的道德良心,以此来构建一个和谐的社会。因此,米勒将此研究集中在人物塑造上,用一种悲剧性的但高尚表达手法,呼唤和赞美个人的道德良心。本文通过分析人物的塑造,揭示此剧的道德主题和米勒对于个人良心的道德观。