What is Arther Miller's view about a play's idea?

= Miller observed that a play must have "idea" which might be useful. As a dramatist 'idea' was paramount importance to Miller. But he observed that no playwright had ever become famous for new ideas that they had begun in their play. By 'new' Miller referred to original ideas or things as created by philosopher and scientist. No known philosophy, ethical idea or social concept had ever been announced through a play. Imminent dramatists like Shaw, Webb, Ibsen, Chekov, Strindberg, or O'Neil have never been credited for inventing new thought.

Miller believes that no new idea could be successfully launched through a play at all for the number of reason--

1)Any new idea or invention emerged at first as an obscure and at times a partial concept. It required proof to be accepted.

(2) A new idea generally rejected some basic belief and assumptions of the society. So reader hesitated to accept a new idea by reading a play. 

There existed an inherent conflict between new idea and drama. A drama was performed usually before a large gathering of people and not alone. Human nature ruled that when one was surrounded by a crowd of people one tended to give up one's individual criteria of judgment and followed the general reaction to the play. Miller cited the example of a person's reaction to a horse whipper on the road : his reaction to a horse whipper on the road: his reaction to it when he was on the street alone and how his reaction underwent a change when there were other people too on the street watching the entire happening. The person 's reaction changed according to the mood of the other people as he realized that he might be supported in acting against the cruelty of the horse whipper or vice versa. In the same way, whatever one saw in the theatre was not seen with only one's own eyes but with the eyes of the other people as well.Miller regarded that the theatre as a serious business, a theatre made people more human and less alone.