What are some of the issues raised in the overture of The Crucible?

By "overture," I assume you mean the portions of text in
the beginning of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible in which he
gives readers some background information on the characters and on Salem. While these
explanations are a distraction from the opening action of the play, they are also
necessary to put the events which follow into their proper
context.

Here we learn about the prevailing issues in
Salem: greed, paranoia, and fear are the backdrop for the hysteria which is to come. The
descriptions of each character help establish their motivations and prepare readers for
the role each of them will play as the story unfolds. To that extent, the "overture" is
invaluable for readers of the play.

One thought I always
have when reading this play is how much more difficult it is to perform this play than
to read it. The actors have to work without the audience having the benefit of all this
valuable information and insight. For example, the person who plays Thomas Putnam must
somehow reflect decades of resentment and anger; and the person who portrays Rebecca
Nurse must portray a woman of such godliness that Reverend Hale--from another town--has
heard of her as an example to be followed. For readers, though, the "overture" is an
invaluable resource in understanding the context of the action and the motivations of
the characters.