How Does Miller Present Mass Hysteria In The Crucible

In the play The Crucible, Arthur Miller utilizes the motif of mass hysteria. In the play townspeople panic about the accusation of people they know of being witches. In today's world we are surrounded by technology which allows news to travel fast. Recently, when a deadly disease called Ebola was found people began to panic and they were scared of being infected. The accusation of witches in the town and the Ebola found caused the same reaction in people.

Lies and Deceit Arthur Miller’s The Crucible reveals to the reader about lies and deceit in the small town of Salem. Abigail Williams, a 17 year old girl who lets her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor turn her into this evil person and affect the lives of many. Several lies unfold from the actions of the two characters as the court questions them. The development of characters, setting, and plot are revealed through John Proctor’s growth. Miller reveals the central idea of lies and deceit in Abigail's actions throughout the play.

In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the theme of hysteria slowly grows until it is very obvious the character’s morals are shifted and their actions are completely under its control. The hysteria sort of hangs throughout the town a like a cloud. john proctor, a respected man and in the novel, he is one of the few who sees through the fog of hysteria because he knows the motive of the girl controlling the hysteria. He states “I never knew until tonight that the world had gone daft with this nonsense” (Miller act 2, 68) this is a clear indicator Proctor can see through the hysteria and knows that the girls are behind it. To the reader john proctor seems like the only hope of stopping the confusion.

The Crucible tells the story of John Proctor whose affair causes havoc in Salem Village. John’s trouble begins when he’s finished with his mistress Abby, but she does not take the news well. She falsely claims witchcraft throughout Salem, resulting in civilians losing their lives. Hoping to kill his wife so she can be with her lover, John fights back

Have you ever been accused of something you certainly did not indulge in? In the play The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, the townspeople of Salem were subject to accusations of partaking in witchcraft, leading to the rise of mass hysteria. Mass hysteria is arguably the most dominant theme of the play, as the people of Salem are engulfed by worries related to witchcraft and accusations of people worshiping the devil. Mass hysteria is a condition that affects a group of people identified by anxiety, excitement, unreasonable actions or beliefs, or unexplainable symptoms of sickness. Arthur Miller explores mass hysteria through the lens of Salem and his characters by portraying vindictive and manipulative behavior within characters such as Abigail, Judge Danforth, and Reverend Hale.

In the face of death, people will do anything to get out of it. In The Crucible, the author, Arther Miller, demonstrates the story of the Salem witch trials in the 1890’s through a play. Of which the readers find that the trials originated from those who sought revenge upon others. As the people in Salem had fulfilled their hateful desires with an organized cry of witchcraft in court. Similarly, to when people accused others of communism, by naming names of those they didn’t like in the 1950’s.

Yet another accusation made by Abigail to try and get Tituba in trouble. All of these very shallow accusations because she doesn’t want the Reverends to think it was all her fault that she was in the woods. Abigail is sly as a snake and will continue to be. “Give me a word John, a soft word.” Proctor, “No, no.

Tituba called him!’” (Miller 42). Readers will find that, this section of the play is very tense with the rise of a newly formed conflict. The conflict is clearly depicted, Abigail is lying to resolve the pressure of questions from both Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale about the events that occurred that night with the dancing. Abigail trying to resolve this conflict led to Abigail ‘confessing’ or lying to ensure her own life and not be hung for witchcraft.

In "The Crucible”, by Arthur Miller, the author effectively employs Reverend Parris’s interrogation of Abigail to develop the theme of hysteria and fear in the play, intensively questioning Abigail on witchcraft and her related activities. Miller uses excessive efforts in his writing in order to shut down his fear of the devil, creating a tense atmosphere throughout the scene. Enriching the passage with its presence, the irony finds its place within the depths of “The Crucible'' as Miller skillfully employs this technique to create a compelling contrast between what the reader knows and what the characters in the story are unaware of. The audience possesses a privileged understanding of the girls’ illicit activities in the woods, clandestine

Hysteria in Salem The Crucible is a play written by American author, Arthur Miller, in 1953. It is a somewhat fictional play about the Salem Witch Trials. Miller wrote it as an allegory to the Red Scare, the promotion of fear of a potential rise of communism. Miller himself was blacklisted for refusing to testify in front of the HUAC, a committee that was created to investigate any person who might be a communist.

Abigail is extremely concerned with her well-being and reputation. In Act One, Reverend Parris confronts Abigail about dancing in the forest, and, instead of confessing, she begins denouncing others. This illustrates how she is willing to allow others to be harmed because of her extreme fear. One example of this is when Abigail states, “Not I sir—Tituba and Ruth” (Miller 15). The character of the residents of Salem is not exceptional.

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the setting is Salem, Massachusetts during the late 1600s where the town’s pious Puritan beliefs directly influence their government. A 17-year-old girl named Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor, a wealthy, married man. Abigail is told by John to move on but instead, Abigail starts accusing the townspeople of witchcraft, including John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth. As this hysteria begins to rise, other people such as Thomas Putnam, a rich landowner, start to also allege Salem villagers. In this play, the author illustrates the central idea that people should not allow jealousy to control their actions.

In act 1 of The Crucible Abigail sees that confessing to witchcraft gets Tituba positive attention, and makes her a sudden credible source to accuse others "I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil!

When Abigail is accused of witchcraft, she confesses and in order to take blame off of herself, she accuses many others as well. This sparks hysteria and conflict in the society that ends up costing people their lives. Many characters play a part in the outcomes in the story, however, some do so with more impact. Women in The Crucible are able to take power in their society as they find ways to influence and manipulate those in authority.

The Crucible “The Crucible” is a play, by Arthur Miller, about the Salem Witch Trials. After reading “The Crucible”, you will be asking yourself, is it necessary for a person to suffer? The answer to the question is shown through the characters, Giles Corey, John and Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams. John Proctor is a respected puritan man in the community. John had made the mistake of sleeping with, a teenage girl, Abigail Williams.