And Arthur Miller one of the country’s most acclaimed playwrights has died at the age of 89. Miller is best known for his 1949 play Death of the Salesman and the Crucible from 1953. The Crucible was a dramatization of the Salem witch hunt of the 17th century but it also implicitly articulated Miller’s outrage at McCarthyism. Miller later wrote about the Crucible saying '’I can almost tell what the political situation in a country is when the play is suddenly a hit there. It is either a warning of tyranny on the way or a reminder of tyranny just past.'’ In 1956 Miller made headlines when he refusing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee. After he refused to name names, he was cited for contempt of Congress. At the height of the Vietnam War, Miller said, “It’s me. I’m responsible. I’m paying the taxes that pay for the rope that ties the guy’s hands, and my bucks are paying for the gas that drives the truck.”