Collective Hysteria is a significant aspect in making and ending relationships. In Arthur Miller's, The Crucible, hysteria displays a key role of tearing apart the community of Salem, Massachusetts by forming an environment where people act on their resent and hatred, which is exemplified by, the protagonist, John Proctor. Miller uses Proctor's internal conflict and logical fallacies to express his message of the harmful results of hysteria. Firstly, Miller uses Proctor’s internal conflict to forebode the harmful results of collective hysteria in the Puritan society. Proctor is deeply challenged to tell a challenging and shunned truth. Proctor has committed a form of lechery on his wife, Elizabeth, with Abigail. Still in love, Abigail, gets …show more content…
Proctor voices to his slave, Mary Warren, “ My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for” (76). After Elizabeth is sentenced, Proctor tries to use Mary’s word to free her. During the court session, Abigail and the other teens begin to clap and accuse Mary of sending her spirit on them. Proctor leaps at Abigail’s and begins to yell at her, “How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!” (101). Miller uses the fallacy of ad hominem to direct against Abigail rather than the position. Miller gets caught up in the destructive hysteria and weakens his case in court. Towards the end of the court session, Abigail makes the accusation that a bird (Mary) is attacking her. Immediately after the rest of the teens follow and Mary becomes overwhelmed. Mary tells Proctor, “I have no power… You’re the devil's man” (110). Marry is so frightened by the hysteria of the teenager girls she starts to believe them and sides with them. Miller uses the fallacy of bandwagon to express the danger of hysteria and how hysteria can cause the society to believe something because the majority of the people believe