Effects Of Hysteria In The Crucible

What causes hysteria in a society and how do people react in these situations? In the Crucible by Arthur Miller the town leads straight to mass hysteria because of the Salem witch trials. Arthur Miller's purpose in the crucible was to present to the reader the hysteria that can come from people who think they are doing the “right” thing. When the town erupts with the thought of witchery everything goes crazy. People accuse people left and right.

In the late 1940’s, Senator Joseph McCarthy began a tyrannical attack against the people of America. McCarthy went through the nation and accused powerful people of being a part of the communist party. McCarthy had no grounds for his accusations; he would just keep accusing people until they broke down and just said they were a communist to end his attacks. His form of “trial” worked until he tried to accuse Arthur Miller, a brilliant play write, of being a communist. Arthur Miller was livid and fought against Senator McCarthy and his House Committee on Un-American Activities the only way he knew.

Both of these times in history were driven by a fear of the people around them, whether it was witchcraft or communism,

The stage is set, the French and Indian War has recently ended and tensions between the colonists and the British are only just beginning. However, despite all these influential happenings the people of Salem are focused on something totally different. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible these colonists in Salem are focused on something never seen or thought of before, witchcraft. This word and thought throw this small town into a frenzy and even some of the surrounding towns are caught up in this. The suspected witchcraft tests the colonists spiritually, emotionally, and politically.

First and foremost, In salem people start to go insane, others are thinking the devil has made its way to Salem. Putnam stated “This is a notorious sign of witchcraft afoot, a prodigious sign!” (15). It proves

It shows mass fear and hysteria in The Crucible from the townspeople in the courts where they accepted all the absurd claims that the girls gave on witchcraft. An example of this is in Act III when Mary Warren says that the witchcraft claims are not true and that it did not happen but Abigail and the girls instead blame Mary Warren for witchcraft and everyone believes them. They were all really scared during this time and they believed all the things the girls were saying even though they were absurd. During McCarthyism the same thing happened and people were full of fear and hysteria. This took place after World War II and Americans were filled with the fear that communists would take over America and so they believed in all the events that happened because of their fear of communism.

In times of fear and hysteria in the U.S. it is mass chaos and it only gets worse and worse. During the time of both the witch-hunt eras, whether for communist or actual witches, they prove to have many similarities between them. Both of these times were full of confusion and lying which lead to the temporary downfall of the authority at that time. Joseph McCarthy proved to be a factor in this time and add on to the chaos that was America. Arthur Miller wrote about these times in a book called The Crucible, based on the witch trial era.

McCarthyims and The Salem Witch Trials were very complex events in history. From being falsely accused, fear of public humiliation, and public hysteria, these two events played a big role in the history of the United States. McCarthyism was fear of communism and the witch trials were fear of witchcraft. Another major factor in these eras was guilt by association, which means that if people they were close with or were around were found guilty then they would be the next to be looked into. Both of these eras showed that the government had so much power that hysteria broke out and spread like a disease.

The play "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller is a timeless illustration of the pernicious effects of hysteria, the power of reputation, and the truth of justice. The famous witch trials that plagued the town are recreated in the drama, which is set in the Puritan environment of 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts. The drama inspects how crazy fright may take over a community and the outcome of the persecution of harmless individuals. According to one character, "The devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, And I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her". (Miller 38).

Brook Mills Mrs. Brown English 10 11/03/15 Many individuals of Salem have to deal with everyday hysteria with many people accused of being a witch and being executed. Other than Abigail, three characters who are to blame for the hysteria in The Crucible are Judge Danforth, John Proctor, and Mary Warren. A character that contributed to the hysteria in The Crucible was Judge Danforth. He contributed to the hysteria because he sent men and women to be executed for no reason.

The Crucible Essay The theme of hysteria is evident throughout Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and in everyday life and society. Driven by self-preservation, hysteria influences many characters’ actions and leads to the devastating witch trials in Salem. For instance, many characters in The Crucible are driven to execute drastic actions to sustain their reputation and protect themselves.

Hysteria is an exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of people. In The Crucible people become hysterical and start accusing others of witchcraft, which leads to many innocent people being falsely accused and punished. Arthur Miller uses the concept of hysteria in The Crucible to show how people can be easily manipulated and how the truth can be distorted in times of fear in uncertainty. Arthur Miller demonstrates how individuals and communities can be blinded by their own fears and prejudices, leading to the persecution of people who have done nothing wrong. As demonstrated in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, mass hysteria numbs people’s consciences and makes them vulnerable.

Mass hysteria is a great enemy to humans and just makes us look like we aren’t worth a single breathe. One of the best and craziest examples of mass hysteria is the never to be forgotten ole Salem witch trials. Arthur miller wrote a great play about what is believed to have happened in Salem during the the late 1600’s. The play's name is the Crucible. Many people including myself believe that Arthur miller had a point to make in mind while writing the Crucible.

Fear that spread among a group of people in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials, that event in history is a prime example of Mass Hysteria. In Salem the reason why so many women were killed was because of Mass Hysteria. It caused many people, in Salem during this event to think fast, rash and jump to conclusions. “The Crucible”, a short play dedicated to these events in Salem shows us how hysteria was such a leading cause of why the Witch Trials had even occurred. Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams and Judge Danforth.

When witchcraft arose, the state began executing anyone affiliated with witchery. Miller wrote The Crucible in the 1950s when Communism was on the rise during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Americans composed investigations to draw out Communist sympathizers that lived amongst them, and similarly, authorities in The Crucible performed acts that were intended to reveal a witch. Behavior like missing church, reading books other than the bible, and inability to remember specific bible quotes were clear signs that one is a witch. This caused an uproar of citizens accusing others in attempt to remove the blame from themselves, and evoked chaos in society.