The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice

fully explains why Proctor was angry. He was an honest man until his affair with Abigail, and even

play no one is safe from being accused of witchcraft. The conflict is when Abigail and her group

In both Salem during the 1690s and in the entirety of the United States in the 1930s, mass hysteria took over for short times due to word of mouth. In Salem, Massachusetts, twenty people were convicted and hanged for the crime of witchcraft in the time between February 1692 and May 1693. It began mainly with a pair of young girls, nine year old Betty Parris and her eleven year old cousin, Abigail Williams, who began displaying fits of what was deemed devil work by doctors who could not diagnose it as a known illness (and if you know about colonial medicinal practises, you wouldn’t be surprised). The hysteria during the night of Halloween of 1938; while the threat of Hitler’s invasion of Europe were constantly broadcasted via radio throughout an already paranoid United States; was in the form of a radio dramatization of H.G.Wells’ novel, War of the Worlds. In both instances, the use of a common paranoia - in

I am going to write a essay on The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Throughout the play, John Proctor makes three important confessions. First one being when he told his wife he cheated on her with Abigail, second one is when he confesses he committed lechery in court, and the last one being that he confessed that he was a witch. The first confession was made to get back together with his wife. The second was to expose Abigail Williams for what she has done. And the last one was to save his life but he took that confession back. So all of his confessions have different reasons. But none succeeds in improving his situation.

same rights and chances and then he did not take on a case because the

Hysteria, reputation, and fear. All words that sum up the plot of The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The Crucible is about the Salem witch trials in 1692. Several young girls claim to be afflicted by witchcraft, starting with Reverend Parris's daughter, Betty. The “afflicted” girls accuse people in the town of witchcraft, often choosing those who they or their families dislike. This leads to hysteria in the town and people being wrongly accused of witchcraft and being hung from it. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller wants to make the point that hysteria can lead to people caring more about their reputation than anything and that hysteria leads to people being wrongly accused.

person council to get them to contradict themselves because he believed that people should be

thing in his life was to be a good father. He has got the ability to see into the future and come back and live differently.

because no matter how long it takes for the court to obtain all the proper information from both

very determine fellow who would not allow others to dictate his destiny. I like the passion that he

• Quotation : "It was because he was allowed, because a priest would know what a sin was and would not do it. But if he did it one time by mistake what would he do to go to confession?" (Pg. 58) Situation: During class at Clongowes, one of Stephen's classmates, Fleming is being scolded by Father Arnall, while the rest of the boys are told to do their writing assignment.

tend to live His life and make his decisions based on how it will benefit him. Even

103). He attempts to release his guilt through his sermons, telling his congregation that he is a

on his most honorable and blameless man? This part of the story is what I

Mass of Hysteria CrucibleIn the 1600s there was a small town name Salem. In the Crucible, Arthur Miller