How Does Arthur Miller Use Groupthink In The Crucible

The movie, “The Crucible”, published in 1996 is a drama film that sets in Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692 and tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials. The film documents a group of teenage girls, who are caught dancing in the woods conjuring love spells and are forced to lie that Satan had “conquered” them, shortly after, they begin to accuse several innocent individuals in the community of witchcraft. As the allegations spread, the community became increasingly paranoid as well as divided, additionally, many innocent people were prosecuted and put on trial. Remarkably, throughout the play Arthur Miller portrays the influence of groupthink, to demonstrate how a character can easily be influenced by society and changes one’s perspective on life.

At the beginning of the play, Mary is one of the girls who is caught dancing in the woods, and she is afraid of being accused of witchcraft. When the other girls begin to blame people for witchcraft, Mary goes along with them, even though she knows that the accusations are false. This is an example of groupthink, as Mary is influenced by the opinions of the other girls and is afraid to speak out against them. Later in the play, when Mary tries to retract her allegations and tell the truth, she is met with resistance from the other girls, who pressure her to continue lying. This is another example of groupthink, as the other girls are more concerned with maintaining their story than with seeking the truth. The girls, led by Abigail Williams, continue to accuse others of witchcraft, even though they have been warned about the sin of lying under oath. When Marry Warren threatens to expose the group's lies, Abigail pressures her back into the group by accusing Mary of witchcraft (The