The Bad Seed, a 1955 stage adaptation by Maxwell Anderson of William Marsh's novel, delves into the psyche of a child murderer. The story reveals that her malevolence, hidden behind a facade of innocence, is a genetic trait inherited from her grandmother.

The Crucible, a 1953 play by Arthur Miller, draws on the seventeenth-century Salem Witch Trials to depict the chaos unleashed by a spiteful girl and her submissive friends as they accuse numerous Salem residents of witchcraft. The play serves as a clear critique of the House Un-American Activities Committee's contemporary investigations into alleged communist activities in the United States. In Othello, William Shakespeare's renowned domestic tragedy written around 1604, the plot revolves around Iago's malevolent schemes. His deceitful accusations against the blameless Desdemona incite her husband, Othello, to turn violently against her, culminating in her death and Othello's own tragic suicide.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark's 1961 novel, which was later adapted for the stage in 1966 and turned into a film in 1969, examines life in a 1930s Scottish girls' school. The narrative centers on the unconventional teacher, Miss Brodie, and her detrimental attempts to manipulate the lives of her preferred students.