The story of the allegorical drama "The Crucible" is set in Salem, 1692. The trial of the witches that actually took place there in the late 17th century particularly occupied the author. He saw in this case the trial of fanaticism and through his work condemned the violation of political freedoms and introduced the term "witch hunt" in the 20th century. He explains: "When the atmosphere is electrified, fear takes hold. The people of Salem saw themselves as possessors of a higher 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 suspicious in a dogmatic world due to a personal mistake - a temporary, marital infidelity.