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How Did The Salem Witch Trials Cause Mass Hysteria In The Crucible

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The Crucible: A Recipe for Disaster It is spring of 1692, and mass hysteria is flying in the air all around the town of Salem. Accusations are being thrown everywhere, and trials are being put into action. Many of the townspeople are being accused of bewitching children. This is notoriously known as the Salem Witch Trials. The real question is, are these people really guilty, or are these girls causing a huge frenzy disturbing the peace in Salem. What is causing this? The mass hysteria in Salem is being caused by the girls, who are claiming they were only “dancing” in the woods, Ruth and Betty falling ill, and Abigail Williams who has been lying and pretending. The beginning of the frenzy started out when Reverend Parris sees that Betty and …show more content…

It starts when she lies about the night in the woods with Tituba. Abigail says, “She made do it! She made Betty do it!” , and “She makes me drink blood,” when Abigail did so all on her own. Abigail also blames Tituba of many other things such as making her dream corruptions. The lies that caused most hysteria are when Abigail and the girls begin to accuse others of being seen with the devil, such as when Betty says, “I saw George Jacobs with the devil! I saw Goody Howe with the devil!”. Also, whenever there is a court or trial, and someone is accused Abigail and the other girls faint and pretend to see the devil or some evil spirit. Another one of the main lies Abigail tells is one of how Elizabeth Proctor is bewitched. Abigail wishes to be with John, Elizabeth’s husband, and seeks out to get rid of her. She does so by stabbing herself with a needle she saw Mary Warren stick into a poppet she had made. Mary Warren even says, “ Ask Abby, Abby sat beside me when I made it,” referring the the poppet Reverend Hale is inspecting to put Goody Proctor in court. Abigail Williams tells many lies and accusations in Salem, and she is clearly an effect of the recipe for

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