“An era of chemical McCarthyism is at hand, and ‘guilty until proven innocent’ is the new slogan.” During the 1950s, a time period of mass hysteria came about in the United States whether someone was considered to be part of the Communist Party. The truth was nowhere to be found as people were condemned to being a communist and were sent to jail or their career was ruined with no evidence to prove they were guilty. Arthur Miller experienced this time period and wrote The Crucible as an allegory. In the play Abigail Williams and a group of girls were discovered dancing in the woods by Reverend Parris. His niece falls in a long period of suspension and the village names it as witchcraft. As the play continues Abigail accused many …show more content…
Before this occurred Reverend Parris found Abigail Williams and a group of girls dancing in the forest calling out for the devil. Two young girls were being possessed by the devil causing them to go into eternal sleep. During this time, people started to blame others for the presence of witchcraft because everyone was unaware of what was going on and who was really involved with witchcraft. This lead to mass hysteria. Abigail and a group of girls began the name calling of people being witches or seeing them with the devil after the two young girls wouldn't awake. During the play these girls blamed innocent people for witchcraft because of their race, ethnicity, poor or rich, ranked low in society, and if she/he just didn't like the person being accused,etc. People started to think twice on who they trusted after the lost of many people in the village due to the mass mysteria of “witches.” After many being accused, Giles says, “Believe me, Mr Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning,” meaning it shows people being blamed after so many rumors that has been spread out into the village. Hale now starts to realize the intensity of everything that is happening, but fails to see the flaws in the accusation. Mass hysteria took a big part in history for women and men being accused of being …show more content…
He admitted to this to try and save his wife Elizabeth’s life since Abigail tried to accuse her of witchcraft. Proctor also believed this would have made the court realize what is happening in Salem. Which would have made them realize the mass hysteria of witchcraft that needs to be stopped. John Proctor is willing to do anything to save his wife’s life therefore when it says "His determination to expose Abigail's false accusations eventually leads him to admit his own adultery to the court. He is at his most self-aware in his final speech when he realizes the importance of maintaining his integrity." Proctor was willing to admit a violation that could send him to jail to prove his point by doing this it also helped Proctor since the judge's started to view Abigail as a lost credibility. Proctor confesses to his sins because he is trying to defend his wife’s life Proctor states “A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is. . . . She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance” this means Proctor