The Crucible Conformity

In modern times, witches are fantasy characters seen in media, but in the town of Salem, they are a real fear. A fear that drives people to insanity and leaves some questioning if reputation is more important than integrity. Arthur Miller enlightens these questioning people in his play The Crucible by describing the witch hunts in Salem. The play follows the people of Salem as the town falls into a witch hunt when a group of girls accuse an innocent slave of witchcraft to save themselves from getting in trouble. It describes the corruption of the authority figures as they force innocent people to confess and accuse others of witchcraft, and it shows how fear can cause a whole town to go against their better judgment. Most importantly, the town

When a whole group conforms, it is hard for each individual person to take responsibility for their own personal actions, as they feel that they are simply following along with others. Social conformity is all too common, stemming from social pressure and the fear of reputation. The accusing girls, out of fear of blame falling on them, blame Tituba for witchcraft to protect their images and lives. Puritan girls live a strict and orderly life, any act out a sign of witchcraft. There is a heavy social pressure on them to live up to the ideals of the town, so when their innocence is under scrutiny, it is natural for them to look for a scapegoat. The girls follow the plan of claiming witchcraft because they are fearful for their reputations, something social pressure pushes them to worry about. Mary Warren, one of the accusing girls, is a wonderful example of this. When she goes to confess near the end of the play she exclaims that “... Your Honor… I heard the other girls screaming, and you… you seemed to believe them… and then the whole world cried, ‘Spirits, spirits!’ and I…”(Miller 56). The town and jury’s

When a whole group ignores their own personal actions, it is easy for the outsiders to receive blame, even if they are innocent. It is also easy for people to become bias and unfair, which is shown in the Crucible. When the authorities come to take Elizabeth away for trial, Hale tells an angry Proctor that if she is truly innocent she has nothing to fear. Proctor in a fit of rage yells, “If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Putnam or Abigail?” (Miller 43). Proctor shows the corruption of the judges, focusing on what the masses believe and not checking their own senses. While the corrupt judges are a clear indicator of the consequences of relinquishing blame because of groupthink, so are the lives lost. Innocent people in jail and some under the death penalty, the consequences are clear. While the consequences are abundant, the Crucible helps convey ways to combat groupthink. Although it is much too late, near the end of the play some of the judges begin to question Abigail’s claims and come back to their senses. Sewall is one of the first, and when Abigail accuses Hale’s wife he accuses, “Why then, absolutely no one in the world is safe. Is that your meaning?” (Miller 67). Using his senses, he is able to realize that Abigail is not truthful. Hale himself is also an indicator of something