ipl-logo

Hysteria In Crucible

1899 Words8 Pages

Hysteria is an overwhelming feeling that corrupts the human mind because a person’s actions begin to affect other people’s decisions. It prevents people from being able to make their own decisions because their minds are being manipulated to follow other people’s actions in order to fit in. These characteristics of hysteria can be used as an advantage because it can be used to take advantage of people who are feeling hysteric or for example, afraid. People can use other’s fears and manipulate what they are afraid of to convince them to act a certain way that would benefit the manipulator. Therefore, hysteria is abused by people because it can be used to control an audience into believing anything a person wants. For example, when shocking …show more content…

This can bee seen through Danforth's actions when John in confessing to working with the devil. He tries his best to prevent himself from becoming egregious in Salem and in court due to his decisions to hang innocent people without solid proof. In this scene Danforth states “And you bound yourself to his service? Danforth turns, as Rebecca Nurse enters, with Herrick helping to support her. She is barely able to walk. Come in, come in, woman! Rebecca, brightening as she sees Proctor: Ah, John! You are well, then, eh? Proctor turns his face to the wall. Danforth: Courage, man, courage - let her witness your good example that she may come to God herself. Now hear it, Goody Nurse! Say on, Mr, Proctor. Did you bind yourself to the Devil's service?” Danforth is trying to use Proctor’s confession to manipulate Rebecca into confessing as well which will save his reputation in Salem and prevent him from being forced to hang both John and Rebecca which will lead to the people of Salem starting a riot. Danforth was hoping Proctor’s actions will affect Rebecca’s actions because they are placed in the same situation and they understand what one another feels. Through hysteria one’s actions can affect the other’s if they are feeling the same way. Therefore, Danforth was relying on hysteria to assure both Proctor and Rebecca confess so that he can keep his reputation clean while Rebecca and Proctor’s reputations are ruined in

Show More
Related
372 Words | 2 Pages

Changing the Salem Hysteria Arthur Miller writes a play called The Crucible. In the play, there is a mass hysteria about witchcraft, all started by a group of girls lying about dancing in the woods. The people accused questioned and hanged if they did not confess. Two people that could have stopped the hysteria are Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor.

Read More
1007 Words | 5 Pages

Now that Mary has accused him as well, he must either confess and live with the whole town thinking such, or he may deny it and be hanged. With the encouragement from Reverend Hale, John decides to confess, but finds out that his name must be publicly written for all to see. When Judge Danforth questions his hesitation on his name going public, John says, "Because it is my name! I cannot have another in my life! How may I live without my name!

Read More
602 Words | 3 Pages

Stopping Panic One of America’s greatest plays is “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. The Crucible is based off of the true events of the Salem Witch Trials, which caused mass hysteria all throughout Salem; However, it was a satire that explained the hysteria during Arthur Miller’s time known as the “Red Scare”. During this satire, he uses characters that had real-life counterparts to explain how mass hysteria, which is exaggerated and uncontrollable emotions of fear, to show how people of his day were doing the same things and how they needed to stop it before it got worse. In the play, two characters who could have stopped the hysteria that plagued Salem were Abigail Williams and Reverend Hale. One character that could have stopped the hysteria was Abigail Williams.

Read More
533 Words | 3 Pages

Hale acknowledges human’s mortality more so than Danforth who believes his word is the final say. Furthermore, Judge Danforth appears to only be concerned with having those who were jailed, confess to being witches whether they were or not. All those who do not confess to conspiring with the devil in his eyes are evil and those “who weep for [them, therefore] weep for corruption” (134). In contrast, Hale is desperate to save the innocent from their inevitable doom because he believes “life is God’s most precious gift” and “no principle [] may justify taking it” (122). He even encourages Elizabeth Proctor to “prevail upon [her] husband to confess” because “God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride” (122).

Read More
1198 Words | 5 Pages

In The Crucible, John Proctor the protagonist, becomes a victim of the witch trials when his wife Elizabeth, is accused of witchcraft. In order to free his wife, Proctor must convince Judge Danforth of his wife’s innocence. Judge Danforth does not sign condemnations lightly and takes meticulous inspection of his cases to determine the guilty party. He is also a highly religious man who takes matters between God and men seriously. It is because of Danforth’s dedication to the law and God that Proctor utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade him.

Read More
676 Words | 3 Pages

At the same time he is doing his duty of making her confess. Nevertheless, Reverend Hale knows that John and Elizabeth are innocent, and that Abigail Williams and the girls are guilty of witchcraft.” You are goodwife Proctor”(2. 266-267). He could have done something more than just trying to convince Judge Danforth that they are innocent.

Read More
779 Words | 4 Pages

Proctor is astonished by what Mary is saying, and she continues to accuse him. Mary says, “I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God” (Miller 261). She is now telling the judge that Proctor has made a deal with the devil and is working with him. Mary Warren blatantly lies to Danforth and throws Proctor under the bus just so she can walk free.

Read More
852 Words | 4 Pages

The Crucible written by Arthur Miller. The Crucible is a story based off of a lot of main characters and scenes. The story itself is based off the salem witch trials hence the story is in the town of salem. The three categories of this story was mass hysteria where people believe things and all join in. Group think is how people together make decisions based on ideas in the group.

Read More
756 Words | 4 Pages

Proctor realized the truth behind everything and decided it was time to come forward and tell Danforth, “She thinks to dance with me on my wife's grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore's vengeance, and you must see it now” (Miller ). John tries to reveal who Abigail really is but it does not help the lives of those who are to be hanged.

Read More
1608 Words | 7 Pages

Abigail, in tears, “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!”

Read More
803 Words | 4 Pages

He says, "a person is either with his court or he must be counted against it". The witch trials, as seen in the story, can express this idea, this quote of what Danforth is saying. They have this logic of which happens in the witch trails, so it us, it might not make much sense, but to them it made sense; they thought that if it wasn 't for God, it had to do with satanic activity or the devil. One symbol that was used in the story was the doll that was found in Elizabeth 's house. Abigail Williams purposely pointed Elizabeth as a suspect of witchcraft through the

Read More
788 Words | 4 Pages

Brook Mills Mrs. Brown English 10 11/03/15 Many individuals of Salem have to deal with everyday hysteria with many people accused of being a witch and being executed. Other than Abigail, three characters who are to blame for the hysteria in The Crucible are Judge Danforth, John Proctor, and Mary Warren. A character that contributed to the hysteria in The Crucible was Judge Danforth. He contributed to the hysteria because he sent men and women to be executed for no reason.

Read More
1451 Words | 6 Pages

Do you understand my meaning?”. This is showing the the judge had complete trust in them and when John had pointed out that the things that the women were doing were kinda suspicious he questions it and realizes that the girls are faking all of it. Sadly he does nothing, still knowing what all the women are doing is suspicious he doesn 't stop the hangings and imprisonments. Judge Danforth may have not started the Hysteria started in the town but he fed into it by believing Abigail and not stopping her from lying when he found out she was lying to the court and the people in the town of Salem. You could say that Judge did not know that Abigail was lieing out of nativity and all his actions were lead by his dense nature because of his faith, blinding him from what was in front of him because he needed something to justify the reason for killing and imprisoning these women.

Read More
1159 Words | 5 Pages

John Proctor never settles for keeping his opinion or what he thinks is right to himself. He knows telling Danforth that he is guilty for adultery won’t help his cause but it shows his desperation to win the case in order protect his wife, Elizabeth. John Proctor was sick and tired of watching Abigail win with a lie, in this case he spoke the truth knowing his consequences. John states, “Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave!

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

Many ask for his mercy towards the accused and he denies it to them to keep his reputation, “... Postponement now speaks floundering on my part...” (Miller 667). This shows that Danforth could have ended the hysteria in Salem by admitting that he does not believe that any of the accused are guilty and claiming the accused not

Read More

More about Hysteria In Crucible

Open Document