Rumors In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Rumors can change lives, but in the 1600s rumors not only change lives but ended lives. In the Play "The Crucible" written by Arthur Miller, the audience can see how rumors of witchcraft costed the lives of many unfortunate woman. The play is based in Salem, Massachusetts and the lower ranked women in the society were being sentenced to death because they were accused for practicing witchcraft. Throughout this play the author shows the audience ways people can start and spread rumors. Rumors could be started through mass hysteria, a hope of hiding evidence to , and through social and political retaliations.
The author shows the reader that rumors can be easily produced through mass hysteria. When Abigail was in the middle of all the drama she stated “I never called [the devil] ,Tituba called him! ”(10). At this point of the story more and more people are adopting to the rumors because

In the story, the audience can see the difference between social rankings very easily. Abigail states to her Uncle "They want slaves, not such as I. Let them send to Barbados for that, I will not black my face for any of them!" (2). This quote is a perfect statement to show that social rankings makes the judgement of people very poor. Abigail is stating that she is too highly ranked to be accused. She is starting to push the rumors of witchcraft towards other people because they are less valuable in the community. Proctor also adopts to this idea of gossip because in the story he states “ if Jacob hangs for a witch he forgot up his property--that's the law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy great a piece[of land], the man is killing neighbors for land”. Proctor is starting rumors in the courtroom that the Putnams want to kill them because they want their land. Proctor is socially outcasted because the Putnams have money, so he is starting rumor that the Putnams are out to get