Examples Of Transformation In The Crucible

Misinformation has been a prominent issue since the creation of early human societies. Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible covers the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 17th century. Using the example of the witch trials, The Crucible exemplifies how misinformation can lead to hysteria and violent consequences. Similar to the example in The Crucible, people in modern society are facing the issue of misinformation relating to a variety of misleading and potentially dangerous topics. The spread of misinformation in The Crucible and modern society share the commonality that they are based on fear and a power dynamic between the spreader and the receiver. Social media in modern society has proven to be the most dangerous tool when spreading

The accusers in this situation, a group of young girls in the town led by Abigail Williams, took advantage of the town's fear of witchcraft in order to spread false accusations about innocent people, who were powerless to defend themselves. The chain of fear would continue in the community because the accused, would have to accuse others of witchcraft, knowing they did not really commit the crime, out of fear of being executed. The girls’ first witchcraft accusations were based on fear because the girls were afraid of being ridiculed or punished for dancing in the woods. They spread false accusations of witchcraft to cover up their deeds. When the girls got a taste of the power they received from accusing others, they were consumed by it and began using the accusation for their own personal gain. The power dynamic that formed between the girls and the rest of the town is what allowed misinformation to spread so easily among the community. The girls accused innocent people for personal gain, whether it be a sour relationship such as the case with John Proctor and Abagail, or for personal reassurance such as Mrs. Putnam’s accusation of Rebecca Nurse for the death of her children. Fear between the accuser and the accused is what allowed for misinformation to spread so rapidly in the town of

An example of this is the dynamic between politicians and the public, and how they use fear for personal gain. Politicians work with media outlets to spread misinformation that will motivate their voters, whether they make false rumors about competing politicians or falsehoods about conditions in society to convey their message. Besides working with politicians, media outlets will use misinformation for their own personal gain. Fake news has been a problem for generations, but with the ease of spreadability through many networks, media outlets have begun using misinformation to bait people into watching their channels. The spread of misinformation can be intentional, or unintentional, but still motivated by fear. A modern example of this would be the Covid-19 pandemic, during which misinformation and fear about the vaccine and the virus itself led to confusion among the public. Misinformation made it difficult to control the spread of the virus, proving that it can still have dangerous effects on