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Comparing Disease In The Crucible And The Red Masque Of Death

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Disease, for as long as mankind has existed, it has existed alongside us. It acts as one of death’s greatest causes, killing millions of human beings throughout time. It’s seemingly god-like power lead many an earlier man to believe that it was supernatural in origin. During the early colonial period within America, it was attributed to witchcraft. An ideal that was only encouraged by the theocratic governments of the time. This formed the basis for the play “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. Throughout most time, disease finds most of its targets amongst the poor people. Hiding within the filth of society, waiting to pounce upon those too weak to defend themselves. The rich, however, hide themselves away from the disease by hiding themselves away from those that are infected, the poor. This ideal is explored throughout Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Red Masque of Death”. Disease is found within both works, as is a commentary on the politics of the times depicted. …show more content…

The disease within the play was not a literal one, but rather a sickness of the mind. A disease that claimed many a life. The carrier of that disease is a singular girl, a girl named Abigail Williams. When one of her cronies turns on her, she shifts the blame towards her claiming that her friend is a witch by saying “It is a wind, a wind!” (Arthur 101) and going on further to blame Mary Warren for a made up hallucination. While not a disease in truth, the one of the mind that permeates throughout the play leads to a hatred that gets many a man and woman hung simply because someone disliked

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