Mass Hysteria In The Crucible

Mass hysteria can be caused by false accusations made without good intent. The drama The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and the hysteria that spread as false accusations were made for personal benefit. Another event in American history that compares to the Salem Witch Trials is the Scottsboro Boys Trial, false accusations caused unfair treatment of the boys involved due to discrimination and fear, this builds a connection between the Scottsboro Boys Trial and The Salem witch hunts. The events both included false allegations, hysteria, and people contributing to fear. In the Scottsboro Boys Trial, the false accusations are similar to the allegations made in The Crucible. The allegations were both made without good intentions and for personal gain. For example, in The Crucible people accused others of witchcraft driven by desires to gain land or for personal vengeance. This is similar to how the nine boys

In The Crucible mass hysteria starts to spread throughout the town when the girls lead by Abigail start to accuse townspeople of witchcraft. This is shown in Act 2 when Mary Warren tells Elizabeth and John Procter, “ No, sir. There be thirty-nine now—(She suddenly breaks off and sobs and sits down, exhausted.)” (Miller 490). The numbers went up rapidly from 14 to 39 in a short amount of time meaning that the fear of witchcraft, which stemmed from false accusations, has now spread and caused mass hysteria. The result of the hysteria in the Scottsboro case was people not giving the accused a fair trial or proper representation. This was due to people only believing a certain group in fear of being looked down upon causing the hysteria to spread to more people in the trial. The characters and people being accused in both The Crucible and the Scottsboro case were affected by the hysteria that made it hard for them to better their