A crucible has two definitions, one is a vessel in which metal is heated to a high temperature and melted for the purpose of smelting, after being purified. An alternative sense of the word may be that of the focus of a baptism of fire, through which a metamorphosis in political, social and cultural relationships occurs, driven by agents of change. When a community presents a toxic environment that is considered defective in important aspects of effective functionality, good can only triumph when some individuals rise up against such a destructive system and reject conformity in a desperate attempt to reform society for the better, despite the personal consequences, often tragic. Therefore, the corruption of a society can only be ameliorated by the personal sacrifice of those individuals who reject conformity and choose to uphold their moral vision, despite friction. This phenomenon is not only found in The Crucible, but is universal; applicable to any culture in any era and is a continually recurring theme in literature. Its roots can be traced to biblical stories, where many of the earliest and most famous examples of this phenomenon can be seen in the crucifixion of Christ, where Christ willingly died to change society and for the betterment of mankind. or in Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son despite the complications of the act. Other examples of this can be found in The Crucible with major characters such as Giles and John Proctor acting as mavericks, and can also be seen in the case of Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher and Mohamed Bouazizi, the man who instigated the Arab Spring . These cases will be carefully analyzed for their parallels and distinct similarities in different relationships… halfway through the paper… to recognize the unjust state of affairs that persists in the deteriorating city-state. Socrates believed that it was better to die, than to live untrue to oneself and live unable to practice philosophy, asking people its questions. Thus, we can see that Socrates was a maverick in ancient Greek society, as he gave his life in hopes of saving his state, opening the jury's eyes to the corruption and evils of society. Socrates also established the framework for a paradigm shift that would occur in his city, as he acquired a formidable group of fans, or following, of individuals, who began to preach his philosophy and continue his Socratic method of questioning and teaching. Socrates' philosophy is still influential and studied today, so his way of thinking about life, truth and knowledge, changed the way Western society perceives the world.