Causes Of Hysteria In The Crucible

The Salem Witch Trials was a true account of mass hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1692, a couple girls were dancing in the woods. Caught by Reverend Parris, he immediately accused them of witchery. (Miller) This rumor spread across Salem, and soon turned into paranoia.(Blumberg,1) With paranoia planted in the minds of the citizens, people began accusing other people of being a witch.(Blumberg,1) The city council began interrogating the suspects. If they did not admit to the crime, they were killed.(Blumberg,1) Over two hundred citizens were accused of witchery, and twenty were slain.(Blumberg,1) The Crucible, a book written to focus on the inconsistencies of the trials, indirectly details how frivolous the trials were. (Blumberg,1)

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a series of events that changed the lives of many Puritans forever. Myriads of innocent people were scapegoated, convicted and even executed of witchcraft. It is hard to believe that this absurdity really occurred, and many tried to locate the reasons that led to the evolution of this crisis. While some turned to economic patterns to explain the hysteria, the people’s belief in the Bible and eagerness to conform to slander contributed most to the progression of the Witch Trials.

Back in 1692, Salem, Massachusetts, had been swept with hysteria as citizens of the city had been reporting of witchcraft and along with it, alleged witches roamed the streets and as a result, multiple victims were hanged. This event, which was dubbed “the Salem Witch Trials”, has been studied by many historians but many have never found the reason for why this one year long hysteria occurred. Many theories have sprung up and still are to this day, but many have stuck out between the rest. The possible reasons why the Salem Witch Trials occurred are the human psyche, societal division, and/or harsh weather. To begin, a theory had been dug up that some victims of trials were psychologically impaired and had opposing beliefs because of the mass

“Whatever hysteria exists is inflamed by mystery, suspicion, and secrecy. Hard and exact facts will cool it” (Elia Kazan). The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about the story of the Salem witch trials and how people react to the situation during the 1690’s. Miller’s message concerning individual conscience in an atmosphere of fear and mass hysteria in The Crucible is that people can turn on others and suspect each other or tell lies or false accusations in order to save themselves or loved ones.

Terror raged through Salem Village in 1692, causing the citizens to accuse each other of heinous crimes supposedly committed through witchcraft, which they punished by arrest, and at times, execution. Twenty-five people died and many more imprisoned as a result of the Salem witch trials, a series of court cases regarding the 131 people accused of witchery (Foulds 258). Trouble first started when two girls acted so strangely, the villagers had no doubts that witchcraft had caused it. Soon, they considered no one safe because anyone might be a witch, or a witch may be tormenting them. The afflicted girls’ mysterious behavior activated a hysterical fear of witches, causing the Salem witch trials.

During the late 1940’s and the early 1950’s, America acted out of fear instead of their head. Author Miller motivated to write The Crucible due to his being alive during the late 1950’s when McCarthyism was prevalent in the U.S. He was trying to make the comparison of the two-time periods. Author Miller wrote The Crucible to point out the hysteria caused by the Red Scare by drawing comparisons with fear fueling hysteria, the ignoring of evidence, and types of people who were falsely accused.

The year of 1692 marked a time of mass hysteria and conflict within the small village of Salem, Massachusetts; this time was known as the Salem Witch Trials. The trials plagued the village with chaos, mystery, and accusations. As the hysterics of witchcraft rippled through Salem, more than two-hundred people were accused and tried, one-hundred-fifty townspeople were arrested, approximately twenty people were executed, and five others died in prison. The trials had a domino effect on the townspeople and sent the village into a downward spiral. Since then, the trials have become tantamount to paranoia, as almost three centuries later, they continue to beguile the great minds of many. To this day, though there are many possible theories, and

The Salem Witch trials were a horrible time in American history filled with distrust, betrayal, and paranoia. These trials caused many innocent people to be imprisoned or even put to death. The Salem Witch trials took place in colonial Massachusetts from 1692-1693. These trials were unfair paranoia fueled cases in which the whole town of Salem would gang up on certain people accused of being a witch or warlock. The accused would be questioned and then taken to a special court made just for the witch trials. After the trial they would get a verdict of guilty or not guilty and the guilty ones would be imprisoned in harsh conditions or even put to death. This wasn’t the first time these “witch hunts” had occurred. According to Jess Blumberg in her article A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials, “Several centuries ago, many practicing Christians, and those of other religions, had a strong belief that the Devil could give certain people known as witches the power to harm others in return for their loyalty. A “witchcraft craze” rippled through Europe from the 1300 stop the end of the 1600s.” This event took place right before the Salem witch trials began, setting a tone of fear and distrust throughout colonial America. At this time in the colonies, strict religion was a big part of everyday life which only made things worse for the accused. This is because the colonists were very set in their ways and did not have open minds when it came to other reasons as to why these strange

The reason behind the historical witch hunts begin with materialism and abhorrence. Society in Salem appears quiet and dull; however, when rumors spread of witches, society accuses the social outcasts at first. “Research has long passed the old notion that authorities, especially the Church, fell in with the people’s supposed eagerness for scapegoats to blame for poor harvests, disease, or similar catastrophes and used intensive prosecution to further their own authoritarian ends” (Maxwell-Stuart 73). Then, the people of Salem throw accusations at the people that they loath or covet their neighbor’s land. This brought a new change in their society: they show a piece of individuality, even if townspeople’s individuality displays as spreading rumors or lying about their neighbors.

In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, he writes, “We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!” (Miller 77). This partially fictionalized tale of the Salem Witch Trials points to one of the causes of the trials, vengeance, but the over dramatized tale 's early stages were quiet. The Salem Witch Episode had humble beginnings in the town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, but evolved into one of the most widely known witch trials in American History. The gallows in Salem claimed the lives of nineteen men and woman during the spring and summer of 1692 due to the accusations of witchcraft with over a hundred people who were accused. After all the terror and the uproar of the trials occurred, everything came to a screeching halt (Linder 1). Due to the unique circumstances of this particular set of witch trials, from the rampant accusations to the discontinuation of the trials mass hysteria does not seem to be fault as with other witch trials, but a variety of factors. The Salem witch trials were not just a simple case of mass hysteria, but a combination of factors ranging from poisons to superstitions to scapegoats, resulting in the outbreak of the Salem Witch episode.

Throughout our nation 's history, Americans have survived times of struggle by remaining strong and brave despite their fears. Disease, natural disasters, and starvation are just a few of the trials our country has faced. While these are certainly dangerous, perhaps the most frightening of all is when you fear those closest to you. This is what happened during the horrific frenzy labeled as the Salem Witch Trials. Nobody truly knows why they occurred, although there are several plausible theories. It all originated in seventeenth century New England, in a tiny place called Salem Village (History.com).

Have you ever seen how people act on Black Friday in the United States right after Thanksgiving? Several people stomping on top of each other, battling and screaming just because an electronic is on sale. We can define this act of behavior with hysteria, which has the definition of extreme passionate reactions which overwhelm reason and sense, most especially in gatherings with other people. History incorporates a few terrible periods in which hysteria ruled. The Salem Witch Trials are a case of this, and Arthur Miller's play The Crucible gives an astounding representation of the part hysteria played in making the uproar of allegations, terror, and murder which contained the witch trials. Hysteria hinders a community because of human nature, jealously and injustice.

1. Throughout The Crucible, the theme of mass hysteria is presented. For example, after Tituba “confessed” to have been working under pressure, Abigail screams “I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (54) The reason why Abigail suddenly “confesses” starts with Tituba. Tituba was under extreme pressure when Reverend Hale and many others were screaming at her; therefore she decided to just give them what they want – a confession – so they would stop. Seeing this, Abigail joins in that she will not be interrogated later, thus adding to the overall hysteria and madness of a witch hunt. In addition, the theme of vengeance is also displayed when John Proctor blatantly states “I'll tell you what's walking Salem - vengeance is walking Salem… now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom,

In today's society there are many cases of mass hysteria just like long ago. In the book John Proctor says a quote that hits big time for mass hysteria, he says “God is dead” while laughing insanely, and if that does not cause mass hysteria then nothing does.

Hysteria is an exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of people. This can lead to lie being spread that people will believe due to hysteria. In the Crucible by Arthur Miller, Arthur use the red scare of post war america as his inspiration for his novel. During the red scare people were accusing any person of being a communist and people believed because due to hysteria. Arthur miller uses hysteria to show that it leads to Damaged reputations,lies ,and hurting people's lives.