Arthur Miller, recognized as one of the most significant playwrights of the 20th century, shared insights into his turbulent marriage with the iconic actress Marilyn Monroe through a series of recently discovered recordings that span nearly thirty years. In conversations with his friend and biographer, Professor Christopher Bigsby, Miller reflected on Monroe’s desire for a partner who could fulfill multiple roles in her life—father, lover, friend, and agent—while expressing that her wish to become a mother would have posed an “additional problem.”
Miller described Monroe as constantly shadowed by a sense of impending doom, believing that failure to protect her could lead to a “catastrophic end.” He recounted a distressing incident where he had to call medical professionals to intervene after she had ingested a lethal amount of drugs. “She was in a very delicate psychological position,” he explained, noting that despite his efforts, her struggles eventually overwhelmed her.
The tragic overdose that claimed Monroe’s life in 1962 at just 36 years old felt almost preordained to Miller. He remarked on the unsustainable nature of her lifestyle, stating, “It was impossible for her to live, let alone with anybody,” given the intensity of her existence coupled with substance abuse.
Their passionate affair began in 1955, culminating in marriage the following year. However, Miller quickly recognized that he had underestimated the challenges of their relationship. He admitted, “I was not really prepared for what I should have been prepared for,” reflecting on Monroe’s lack of resilience and her need for constant validation. “I don’t know if that human being exists,” he mused, implying that such unconditional support was beyond anyone’s capability.
The couple faced further emotional turmoil after Monroe experienced a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy, ultimately seeking medical assistance that yielded no success. Miller voiced his concerns about Monroe’s desire for motherhood amidst the relentless pressures of Hollywood, questioning whether having a child would have been beneficial for her: “It would have been an additional problem.”
Despite describing Monroe as “delightful” and “very smart,” Miller noted that her increasing paranoia led her to suspect those around her of taking advantage or harming her. Their relationship deteriorated significantly during the filming of *The Misfits*, a movie Miller had written for Monroe. He recalled how their disagreements began shortly after their marriage, particularly during the making of *The Prince and the Showgirl*, where he found himself defending director Laurence Olivier against Monroe’s accusations of persecution. This was a pivotal moment in their relationship, leading to a profound estrangement.
Miller expressed that, from a professional standpoint, he felt he had accomplished little during their marriage, aside from *The Misfits*, and believed that even a shift in Monroe’s feelings would not have salvaged their union. “I couldn’t have gone on. It would have killed me,” he stated, emphasizing the toll their relationship took on his creative output.
The newly released recordings, which began shortly after Miller met Bigsby in the mid-1970s and continued until a few years before Miller’s death in 2005, have been compiled in a book titled *The Arthur Miller Tapes: A Life in His Own Words*, published recently by Cambridge University Press.
Miller also discussed the immense impact of *Death of a Salesman*, which premiered in 1949 and became the first American play to win a Critics’ Circle award, a Tony, and a Pulitzer Prize. He noted that the acclaim brought him both empowerment and strain, contributing to the disintegration of his first marriage to Mary Slattery. “My horizon suddenly opened up,” he recounted, reflecting on how his newfound recognition altered his personal life.
He characterized fame as a form of power, often intertwined with sexuality, and admitted to losing himself in work, stating, “Now that I look back at it, I don’t know how anybody could live with me at all.” Throughout his life, Miller battled self-doubt, confessing that only a small fraction of his writing had been published.
The tapes also reveal Miller’s experiences with communism and the suppression of his works during the McCarthy era, particularly when he refused to name communist writers before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956. He described the pervasive fear during this time, noting that it felt irrational and oppressive. This environment deeply influenced his writing of *The Crucible*, which he set during the Salem witch trials to provide a safe distance for discussing contemporary issues.
He explained, “There had to be some distance given to the phenomenon,” as many struggled to maintain honesty and safety in a time of paranoia. The recordings further explore Miller’s early life, his first sexual encounter, his perspectives on Zionism and antisemitism as an atheist Jew, and the creative inspirations behind *The Misfits*, among other topics.
