The Crucible Many years ago, the culture and atmosphere was amazingly different. The expectations of people and communities are extremely high. During the Puritan times, many laws and regulations existed pertaining to government, religion, and witchcraft. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the one word that best describes the Puritan beliefs and the community structure is strict. The Puritan government during the time of this play is a theocracy—a government of God, run by the town’s minister. This means that the people cannot elect their own leaders. In The Crucible, the minister of the town is Reverend Samuel Parris. Mr. Herrick says to Danforth, “Mr. Parris comman