Stuart Hellie Ms. Meyers American Literature I 2_ March 2023 Hysteria in Modern and Past Societies According to Merriam-Webster, hysteria is defined as “ a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychogenic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions. When people in past or present societies let their emotions control their actions, it negatively affects how that society functions and the individual people within it. Hysteria has been shown throughout The Crucible and other events throughout history. In The Crucible there were many forms of hysteria within the people of Salem. In the overture of The Crucible Arthur Miller states, “The witch hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among …show more content…
In court Mary Warren states that the girls were pretending to faint and seeing spirits. When Cheever brings the girls to the courtroom, they realize Mary is with John. Judge Danforth begins asking what they are coming to the court with, John answers, “This is Mary Warren's Deposition”. (Miller 102). The girls start to realize that Mary is turning against them and she is siding with John. As the court session procedes Danforth goes back and forth between Abigail and Mary asking them questions to see which one is telling the truth. Later in the scene Judge Hawthorn asks Mary to show them how her and the girls pretended to faint. After Mary could not prove that she could faint, Abigail is questioned by Danforth, “‘I bid you now search your heart and tell me this-and beware of it, child, to God every soul is precious and His vengeance is terrible on them that take life without cause. Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when-’” (Miller 111). Abigail, being very nervous and scared, starts pretending that she feels a cold wind, Mercy Lewis follows and does the same as Abigail. Proctor yells, “‘They’re Pretending!’” (Miller 111). More of the girls start to follow Abigail and Mercy lead. Proctor grabs Abigail and says, “‘How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!’” (Miller 112). Proctor told the court that Abigail and him had relations with each other. Later in the court session, Hale sides with John and says, “‘I believe him! This girl has always struck me false! She has-’” (Miller 116). Abigail, having no way to defend herself, pretends to see a yellow bird. She yells, “‘Why? Why do you come yellow bird?’” (Miller 117). The girls all chime in and describe details about this mysterious yellow bird. The judges start