Fear Leads To Mass Hysteria In The Crucible

It all started in a small Town called Salem, Massachusetts where many were accused of practicing witchcraft in 1692 which lead to Arthur Miller’s writing of The Crucible. It is simply about a group of girls who begin to accuse several different people of witchcraft in which they are also able to convince the leaders of the community that the Devil is present in Salem. This leads to the killing of nineteen innocent people and one dog. This is very similar to the persecution of communist in the McCarthy era. The topic of fear is mainly used to force others into false testimony and in this play it was also used by those who were in power to control their enemies. As rumors of witchcraft continue to spread throughout Salem, the community begins to feed into it which later results in mass hysteria. …show more content…
Many were made to confess to doing so because if not “they must be hang for denyin’ it” and their fear of death makes them do whatever they can to avoid it. (Act II pg.63) Some used it for personal gain like wanting more land while others are overcome by the town’s hysteria that the devil is attacking Salem. Many of those who live in Salem were Puritans who had very strict rules and deviating from socials norms was unheard of because then they would be considered a threat to society. Abigail knows she has done wrong but will not admit to it. The best way to save herself is to attract attention to others and take it away from herself to avoid her own fear of punishment so she begins to accuse others of doing