The Crucible Essay On Fear

The Fuel to the Fire: Fear

Though many say that one can never make the wrong choice, author Tony Robbins feels that “a decision made from fear is always a wrong decision.” He alludes to the idea that fear can often overthrow one's best judgment and go on to negatively impact their decision-making. Interestingly enough, this seems to best sum up the origin of the Salem Witch era, a time when constant fear controlled the minds of many and allowed for the making of countless poor decisions. It ultimately encouraged people to accuse each other of witchcraft based on spectral evidence alone, resulting in the death of 25 innocent individuals and a great deal of suffering. As Arthur Miller similarly portrays in the play The Crucible, fear of many

Everyone’s choices were based on the things they feared rather than their best judgment and naturally, it quickly turned into uncontrolled mass hysteria. From the beginning of the play, Betty lies in bed sick, and her illness only intensifies as time goes on. Although Betty is quiet for a while, after Mary Warren tries to convince Abigail to tell the truth, she suddenly awakens and appears to go insane, crying out that they must “let [her] fly“ and then “raises her arms as though to fly, and streaks for the window, gets one leg out”(18). Betty does not say a word about flying until after the Putnmas mention it, and as Abigail reveals to Proctor, nothing of witchcraft went on in the woods. In other words, it is obvious to the reader that Betty is not really sick, and as seen through her reaction to telling people the truth, she only pretends to be to avoid what she fears most: punishment. However, she is too naive to consider that with an unknown illness like hers, people would look to nothing less than unnatural causes as its source. Betty faking being sick essentially gives rise to the very first whispers of witchcraft in Salem,

Abigail, however, handles the situation a bit differently, not fearing punishment but more her reputation. As she is continually questioned on her doings in the woods, she begins to worry and reassures everyone that “[she] never sold [herself]! [She is] a good girl! [She is] a proper girl” and that “[Tituba] made [her] do it”(40). Clearly, Abigail is very proud of her reputation in Salem and fears the possibility of ruining it. She is well aware that if people knew she drank a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor, they would no longer view her the same. Therefore, she selfishly places the blame on Tituba, unknowingly starting a long chain of false accusations while forcing responsibility and blame into the hands of a