He was warming up before a school sports day, and I was star struck. There he was, in all his intellectual glory, stretching like a cross between Socrates and Usain Bolt. But, as more students strolled up and started blocking my view, the dream took a darker turn. It was all a bit Lord of the Flies - except instead of struggling over the conch, I was fighting for the view - pulling children down from their vantage points, demanding that they name a Miller play before I’d let them stay.
I’m not proud.
Let’s face it: Arthur Miller’s plays are exactly the kind of texts that get under your skin and into your dreams. They’re as American as apple pie, baseball, and ethically questionable foreign policy - yet with layers of complexity that make them staples of every respectable English literature and Theatre curriculum, from GCSE to A Level to the IB DP. But how do his works stack up against the various demands of these syllabi? With that in mind - how relevant is the bard to the modern curriculum?
The Crucible - The GCSE Darling
The Crucible has become a staple of the GCSE curriculum for a reason. It’s a text that balances accessible language with profound themes, making it a perfect fit for students just beginning to tackle serious literature. The play’s exploration of mass hysteria and the consequences of moral absolutism resonates with a young audience, allowing teachers to link the text to historical events like the Salem witch trials, McCarthyism, and even modern-day witch hunts on social media. The play’s compact structure also makes it a manageable read for students, with its intense scenes providing ample material for both classroom discussion and performance. Where GCSEs may want themes neatly packaged, ambitious students will revel in the messy ambiguity of it all. Is Abigail Williams just a teenage girl scorned, or is she the most cunning social climber this side of House of Cards? The Crucible asks students to think critically about power, gender, and society—all while they contemplate the fact that witch hunts never really went out of style.
Death of a Salesman - The A Level Challenger
At A Level, Death of a Salesman presents a more sophisticated challenge, perfectly tailored to meet the higher-level demands of the syllabus. The language grows more complex, and the structure becomes more fragmented. The play’s non-linear narrative and its deep dive into the disintegration of the American Dream require a more nuanced understanding of both literature and life itself. At this level, students are expected to dissect the characters - Willy Loman in particular- with a critical eye, exploring the play’s themes of failure, identity, and delusion. Death of a Salesman encourages students to analyse the social and economic conditions of post-war America, making connections between Miller’s world and their own. It’s a text that pushes A Level students to consider the cost of dreams and the weight of societal expectations, preparing them for the rigors of higher academic study.
A View from the Bridge — The IB Contender
For IB Diploma students, A View from the Bridge offers a rich exploration of justice, loyalty, and the complexities of human relationships. The play’s focus on immigrant experience and the tension between old-world values and new-world realities aligns well with the IB’s emphasis on global perspectives and intercultural understanding. A View from the Bridge lends itself to the kind of deep thematic analysis and personal engagement that the IB programme encourages. Students are invited to explore the moral ambiguities in the play, examining how personal and societal conflicts intersect. The play’s combination of intense human drama and broader social issues makes it an ideal text for the IB’s Theory of Knowledge component, where students can question the nature of justice, honour, and truth.
In the end, Miller’s plays are like an endless buffet of despair and moral quandaries, perfect for students of all levels to feast upon. And who knows? Maybe, after digesting them, they’ll start dreaming of Arthur Miller at sports day, too.
Book a Free Online20-Minute Consultation
Discover how The Langlit Studio can support your child's specific needs to help them master the skills required to ace their Literature exams. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation to discuss how Sophie Welsh can help your child excel in their GCSE, A Level or IB English literature studies.
email: thelanglitstudio@gmail.com