Similarities Between The Salem Witch Trials

Does the Salem Witch Trials and The Holocaust Have Things in Common? During both of these times mass numbers of people were being killed and driven by fear in their own society. This fear became mass hysteria. Mass hysteria occurred in 1692 in the town of Salem and again “between 1933 and 1945, [when] more than 11 million men, women, and children were murdered in the Holocaust” (Lehnardt 1).

Enduring hardships and mass hysteria, is not the only things the Holocaust and the Salem Witch Trials have in common. During the devastating Holocaust in Germany and the tragic Salem Witch Trials, innocent people were brutally killed causing an uproar among the people. Both just wanted to “purify” society but in the wrong way. Throughout history, millions of people have been unjustly persecuted.

In Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” it tells the tale of the Salem Witch Trials. At the time of the play, the McCarthy trials, named after Sen. Joseph McCarthy, were underway. Though, instead of hunting for witches, they were hunting for communists. These two trials may have happened at different points in history, but were in many ways the same. Whether it was death to job loss a lot of lives were changed on account of these trials. “The Crucible” and the McCarthy trials have become historically important because they show the process of power, fear, and turmoil.

How do the Salem Witch Trials and The Holocaust have anything in common? They may be about different topics and occurred during different times, but the Salem Witch Trials and The Holocaust are more alike than you think. The Salem Witch Trials, a series of investigations, took place in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. Over 200 innocent people were being accused of witchcraft in Salem with little proof on the matter (history.com). It was started by a group of young girls who claimed to be possessed by the devil, and began having fits and uncontrollable outbursts (history.com).

What are the similarities between The Salem Witch Trials and the Holocaust? The Salem Witch Trials was a time of hearings and prosecutions of people being accused of witchcraft. The Holocaust was a time of mass murder for the Jews, Homosexuals, and Gypsies. Although The Salem Witch Trials and the Holocaust occurred at different times they were very similar in many ways.

Mass Hysteria Research Paper: The Holocaust and Salem Witch Trials Mass hysteria is formally defined as “an outbreak of unusual and uncharacteristic behaviors, thoughts and feelings, or health symptoms shared among a group of people” (Raypole). It has been seen throughout all of history, including one of the most well-known events of mass hysteria, the Salem Witch Trials, and one of the most well-known more recent events, the Holocaust. The Salem Witch Trials was a time of mass hysteria where many believed there to be witches living among them, threatening their and others’ safety. The Crucible by Arthur Miller was able to show and represent this. The Holocaust occurred during World War II and was a time of mass hysteria and genocide where

In America, the 1950’s was a time of mass hysteria. The Cold War, a long-lasting war over Communism, had just begun and many were afraid that communism would enter the United States. A man named Joseph McCarthy gained authority and had accused a plethora of Americans of having communist connections. Arthur Miller's book, The Crucible, had been written as he was inspired by this time period’s hysteria comparing McCarthyism to the Salem Witch Trials. Arthur Miller indicates the influence government has during a time of hysteria to serve the agendas of a few disregarding the interest of many by utilizing elaborate logos, diligent diction, and tenacious metaphors.

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, is wonderful example of how mass hysteria can spread throughout a small community. The setting of the play is Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 during the infamous Witch Trials. Miller uses these trials and the way they impacted the Salem community as a parallel to the Red Scare of the 1950s. Both time periods show the effect corrupt authorities can have on the lives of others. The author’s most striking commentary is on the role

During the time period of 1691 to 1692 the town of Salem, a small thriving community within the Puritan Massachusetts Bay colony, was struck by widespread hysteria in the form of witch trials. The way these trials and accusations played out are historically unlike any other witch trials found in European and American history. Historians have pointed to a number of economic, political, and social changes of the then existing institutions throughout the Massachusetts Bay area to be the cause of the Salem witch trials, along with the direction they took. If studied closely however, it becomes apparent that the main cause for the Salem witch trials can be found in the way the people of Salem viewed and

“Why I Wrote The Crucible” by Arthur Miller discusses the widespread paranoia of the communist infiltration and the parallels that exist between the Salem witch trials

The Salem Witch trials are a very known event in history. Groups of people were accused as being witches by the church and its followers. The murders of the West Memphis is another very similar situation of the West Memphis police blaming three teenage boys because they stood out from other citizens. There are many similarities between these two events of mass hysteria and false accusations.

As America entered the post-war era after World War II, there was still an ongoing sense of paranoia throughout the country. In the mid-nineteen hundreds, McCarthyism, initiated by Joseph McCarthy’s accusation of 205 Communists and the use of unjust methods to hunt Communists, arose. As this era emerged, Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, which highlighted and dramaticized the scandal of the 1692 Salem witch trials, gained popularity and opened on Broadway. Though the two events in American history, McCarthyism and the witch trials, lie almost 300 years apart, Miller’s The Crucible serves as an allegory to the closely mirrors the events of McCarthyism, specifically in the request of the names of those accused, the absence of reliable

“He (Hitler) believed that a person’s characteristics, attitudes, abilities, and behavior were determined by his or her so-called racial make-up”(“Site”). As well as victims of the Holocaust, people of Salem were discriminated against based on ideas set by one person. The Holocaust was a genocide of innocent people based on the Nuremberg Laws set by Adolf Hitler. The Salem Witch trials began when a group of girls ruled, by Abigail Williams started accusing innocent people based on behavior and their status in Salem. A mass murder of nearly six million innocent Jews based on the opinion of one leader can be connected to Abigail Williams influences during the Salem Witch Trials. The connections between the Holocaust and the Salem Witch Trials began with the ruthlessness of leaders, the demise of innocent individuals, as well as the factors that led to these horrific events.

Throughout history, many horrific incidents based on an act of violence or disagreement have resulted in panic and mass hysteria. These historical events include but are not limited to, The Holocaust, mass shootings, and 9/11. Many of these tragic events have led to people being immensely afraid. These events often create fear for those who participate in everyday activities. A healthy community consists of a support system, peace, trust, and adhering to societal laws. Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, illustrates parallels between the Salem 17th century witch trials and the Communist Red Scare in the 1950’s to exemplify how destructive irrational fear and mass hysteria can become. When a community is overcome with fear it creates an insalubrious system of mistrust, corruption, hypocrisy, and the defiance of laws. Conflict relating to witchcraft in The Crucible, led to tension and struggle for the people of Salem. In his allegory, Arthur Miller illustrates the devastating impact of irrational fear on a community through the actions of the characters of Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth and Judge Hathorne.

The history of religious and government intolerance creates a bridge between the 1692 witch trials and present society, including the impending McCarthyism of the 1950s. Hysteria continues to cause riots and uprisings within the world and reputation is still held to a high level of respect. Without these main themes, The Crucible would not be a piece of work that is still prevalent within society and continues to teach