In the play The Crucible, playwright Arthur Miller protests the Red Scare of the early 1900s, a period of public hysteria in which Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many innocent Americans of Communism. Appalled by this tragic period of modern history, Miller suggests a parallel in The Crucible, in which he attempts to convey “‘the essential nature of one of the most awful chapters in human history’--the trials for witchcraft in Salem in 1692” (Background: About Arthur Miller” 3). In both periods of history, Miller warns that mass hysteria often results from people who claim, that principle motivates their actions, while they may actually have other secret incentives such as greed or revenge. In The Crucible greed motivates some characters and revenge motivates others, creating the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials.
“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.
One cynical reason why people cause hysteria in society is to gain power. This is shown by a character in Author Miller’s play, The Crucible, and through the actions of past Senator McCarthy. Abigail Williams, a character in The Crucible, used the fear of witchcraft and being named a witch in Salem, Massachusetts to give herself leverage
Leiffer 1 Jake Leiffer Mrs. Faulkner English 11 Honors October 3, 2014 Hysteria In Salem In Salem things are getting crazy. Hysteria is going around like a disease, but not from witchcraft. In The Crucible several accusations have taken place taking the lives of many due to hysteria. Hysteria is being spread through three different things.
The Chaos of Salem During the year 1692 and 1693, Salem went to chaos over the Salem Witch Trials. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, portrays this event very well; Millar easily shows the hysteria and fear that was running throughout Salem during this time. During this one-year long period of history, the judges in Salem had trialed over 200 people, and 20 of them was executed by hanging. Only certain kids, 12 of them total, were being afflicted by other people’s “spirits.”
Puritans are people of deep religious values and in Salem, Massachusetts; they are confounded when the news of witchcraft breaks air around the town. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, people began to have delirium and hysteria because of the witch trials. The author portrayed these trials from the chaos in the United States and his colleagues to depict the turmoil in Salem. In Arthur Miller’s book grudge and personal rivalries cause hysteria and delirium of witches, which forced fallouts and deaths in the town. Miller uses grudges and personal rivalries as energy that kept the witch trials going.
“Mass hysteria is a condition which affects a group of people, it is characterized by excitement, anxiety, irrational behavior, beliefs, or inexplicable symptoms of illness within said group.” The Crucible was written and published on January 22, 1953, as means of pointing out the utter insanity of the Communist Red Scare. In the events which partook in the Red Scare, an organization by the name of the House Un-American Activities Committee was formed in 1938 and led by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy, targeted and accused American citizens of being communists, most notably those who were successful. In The Crucible, I argue Mary Warren could have ended the mass hysteria in Salem by sticking to the truth, not taking Abigail’s threats seriously,
In “The Crucible” written by Arthur Miller, there are many themes. One major theme would be that buying too much into your own beliefs can be dangerous and that it’s important to listen to your gut and if you don’t it can lead to mass hysteria. Reverend Parris said “There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that” (Miller act 1). Parris is fearful of losing his position and his power that he lets his extreme beliefs and actions start mass hysteria in the Salem community causing the death of many innocent people.
In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, the reader watches as a small Massachusetts village tears itself apart during the Salem Witch Trials. Friends and neighbors accuse each of in fear that they are consorting with the Devil. It is no surprise then, that alliances begin to form in Salem. Some people use the trials as an opportunity to exact their revenge or for their own personal gain.
The Crucible Arthur Miller Stephenie Burston 6th Period March 8, 2017 The author of The Crucible is Arthur Miller. The physical setting is Salem, Massachusetts; the temporal setting is 1692. He doesn’t manipulate time the story is in chronological order. The temporal setting is important in 1692 people were just coming over from Europe to start settling the New World that’s now America.
Only in rare cases is something so impactful on a story caused by solely one person. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, luckily, is not one of those cases. There would be much less of a story if it was that simple. The blame of the hysteria that is revolving around Salem is upon many shoulders. The three people that are most intertwined with this are Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Mary Warren.
Man has endured hysterias in the past. Many times, they caused damage to the social structure and even led to the destruction of it. The audience finds hysteria in the play “The Crucible”. The town of Salem follows the same process that crumbles social order. The role of human nature is present and factors to the downfall of man.
Humans have been referred to as some of the most psychologically complex beings. In “The Crucible” Arthur Miller ventures into a highly studied subject, how do humans and societies react in times of crisis and panic? Miller bases his story off of the Salem witch trials, in his dramatized version, A small puritan village is struck with mass hysteria after a girl accuses someone of witchcraft. The story of witch trials is added for entertainment, below the surface Miller gradually explores Human Vulnerability, hypocrisy, and vengeance as his story unfolds, using Humans for relatability and understanding. Creating a great example of how humans and societies can crumble, collapse and bottom out under pressure.
In the Crucible, fear, hysteria, and revenge are the most important elements where fear spreads around the whole village. Hysteria involving witchcraft would end up with many innocent people killed. With many false accusations of a long held grudge with another villager would kill others they would have problems with. Revenge would later involve the slaughter of another bad blood of another villager. “God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat.
Brook Mills Mrs. Brown English 10 11/03/15 Many individuals of Salem have to deal with everyday hysteria with many people accused of being a witch and being executed. Other than Abigail, three characters who are to blame for the hysteria in The Crucible are Judge Danforth, John Proctor, and Mary Warren. A character that contributed to the hysteria in The Crucible was Judge Danforth. He contributed to the hysteria because he sent men and women to be executed for no reason.
