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How Does Miller Present Mass Hysteria In The Crucible

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Through the conflation of the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy trials, Arthur Miller dramatically represents the human experience of mass hysteria throughout the play ‘The Crucible’. The mass hysteria in the Crucible is closely related to the human emotion of fear, it refers to the way in which a large group of people recognise a major threat to themselves and society throughout the fear and baseless rumours that are created. These emotions arise throughout the accusation of witchcraft in Salem, these false accusations lead to a series of convictions and trials, which eventually result in the many deaths of innocent people. In the dystopian novel ‘The Hunger Games’ by James Newton Howard, The theme of Survival versus Humanity is clearly …show more content…

The Crucible reflects the compelling power that fear holds on people and the erratic behaviours that it drives people to perform, and forces them to believe that they must forfeit their humanity by turning against their fellow people to ensure themselves of a false sense of security. After John Proctor, who is a man that holds a high status in society and is well-respected begins having an affair with the familys teenage servant Abigail Williams, they both begin to illustrate rampant hysteria. Despite the misogynistic system of the village, Abigail is a dominant accuser of witchcraft in Salem who begins to go around accusing many people of witchcraft which results in many innocent deaths. Abigail holds a manipulative and power-hungry nature which causes her to perform reckless actions to destory the lives of others, which begins with her affair with John Proctor that enables her to hold power over him. However, there is a main inconsistency throughout the play which is the fact that John names himself, and acts as a honest man but he begins an ongoing affair with Abigail. “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! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” Abigail is using repetition is this outburst in the hopes to manipulate after Tituba has falsey confessed to witchcraft as a way of escaping her own negative situation. Abigail once again uses her manipulative nature because she does not want Tituba to be forgiven. ‘The Crucible’ challenges the audience to reflect on the very serious consequences that arise from false accusations and baseless rumors that can destroy society and cause individuals to act

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“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. ”(Roosevelt). The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a historical fiction about how hysteria and groupthink can have drastic consequences. It follows the Salem witch trials and the events that led to 19 people being convicted of witchcraft and subsequently killed. The most important subject in The Crucible is how fear can affect decisions.

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512 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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In the first act of the play the Crucible, by Arthur Millar, a few girls are caught dancing in the forest and accused of witchcraft. To save themselves and their reputations the girls, along with other citizens in the town of Salem, start to point their fingers and put the blame on other people. Abigail’s, Reverend Parris’, and Mrs. Putnum’s various accusations all come from their selfish motives. The most subterranean motivation of Abigail is the “love” she has for John Proctor.

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388 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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1422 Words | 6 Pages

You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor” (Miller 19), the reader can clearly determine that Abigail will take any measure to accomplish her selfish goals. This is as Abigail is trying to intimidate the other girls into not saying anything. “She is the consummate seductress; the witchcraft hysteria in the play originates in her carnal lust for Proctor” (Schissel 3). Abigail is the core of “The Crucible”, everything originates in her desire for Proctor, and the way she achieves her goals.

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794 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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After Abigail lies about Tituba being a witch, Abigail makes up a very detailed and false story about why Tituba is a

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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.

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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.

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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.

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1665 Words | 7 Pages

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!

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577 Words | 3 Pages

She uses lies to remove Elizabeth, Proctor's wife, from the scene because she regards her as an obstacle to their connection. In addition to achieving Abigail's own goals, her false charges of witchcraft against Elizabeth add to the general panic and chaos that descend upon Salem. Abigail's dishonesty plays a major role in the overall meaning of "The Crucible". Miller draws attention to the damaging effects of deception and manipulation in society through her activities.

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481 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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971 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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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.

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