Examples Of Hysteria In The Crucible

Hysteria is an exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of people. In The Crucible people become hysterical and start accusing others of witchcraft, which leads to many innocent people being falsely accused and punished. Arthur Miller uses the concept of hysteria in The Crucible to show how people can be easily manipulated and how the truth can be distorted in times of fear in uncertainty. Arthur Miller demonstrates how individuals and communities can be blinded by their own fears and prejudices, leading to the persecution of people who have done nothing wrong. As demonstrated in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, mass hysteria numbs people’s consciences and makes them vulnerable.
In The Crucible hysteria is

In act 1 of The Crucible Abigail sees that confessing to witchcraft gets Tituba positive attention, and makes her a sudden credible source to accuse others "I want to open myself! 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!" (Miller 48). Abigail's speech is a dramatic moment in the play, as she appears to be confessing her sins and seeking redemption, while also accusing others of witchcraft. However, it is soon revealed that Abigail is lying and manipulating the situation to deflect attention from herself and gain power over others. Her accusations of witchcraft set off a chain reaction of hysteria and paranoia in Salem, as more and more people are accused and arrested for supposed crimes against the church and the state. Towards the end of Act 2 people start realizing that Abigail has gotten so far up in social standing, that no one can stop her from escalating her accusations, and at this point people trust her more than Mr. Proctor, and she can manipulate their affair to her advantage."She'll kill me for sayin' that! Abby'll charge lechery on you Mr. Proctor!" (Miller 80). Mary Warren is warning John Proctor th at if he continues to speak out against the accusations of

In act 2 of The Crucible Elizabeth Proctor notifies her husband John of her thoughts about Abigail Williams, "Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now - I am sure she does - and thinks to kill me, then take my place" (Miller 61). John Proctor is speaking to his wife Elizabeth and expressing his concern that Abigail may falsely accuse him of witchcraft and then take his place as Elizabeth's husband. The quote also suggests that a promise, whether spoken or unspoken, carries weight and consequences, and that Abigail's promise to accuse John of witchcraft is a dangerous one. Abigail Williams cries this out in the courtroom when the girls accuse Mary Warren of sending a "bird" down to attack the girls "But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary." (Miller 115). When Mary Warren tries to tell the truth about their previous issues, Abigail and the other girls turn on her and accuse her of witchcraft. She is essentially accusing Mary Warren of being envious of the attention and power that Abigail and the other girls have received from accusing people of witchcraft. Abigail is also using her own tears and the idea of tearing her face to create a sense of drama and to make herself seem like a victim. In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, Abigail Williams is a young woman who is obsessed