Arthur Miller's famous drama The Crucible is a well-known work on the topic of the Salem Witch Trials. Miller's play, which was written during McCarthyism and the Red Scare, is an allegory based in Massachusetts, 1690's.
The Crucible is an obvious choice in the English classroom, as it is a great choice for American drama. In the Social Studies classroom, The Crucible is a great way to talk about events of hysteria in history!
A great text that connects to this play is Margaret Attwood's poem "Half-Hanged Mary," which tells the story of Mary Webster, who was hanged for being a witch in Puritan Massachusetts. Interestingly, though...she survived the hanging and lived another 14 years!
The film version of The Crucible is also really recent and very well-done. I caution showing it mid-reading, however, because the director does take some liberties!
