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The Crucible Crowd Mentality Analysis

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The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play full of suspense and suspicion. Many people involved in the Salem witch trials died because of vengeance which is amplified by many groups. Problems arose when people began to choose sides. In the Crucible, the conflicts of the play illustrate the power of a crowd mentality to influence the actions of people. Abigail and all the other girls act differently when they are together. Toward the beginning of Act one, the girls are caught dancing in the woods. Abigail drinks chicken blood because the entire group is trying to conjure spirits. She acts like them because they are together. In normal circumstances, she would never do this, but she gets caught up in the action and thrill of the rebellious acts. For example, towards the end of Act one, Reverend Hale tries to convince Tituba to confess that she is working with the devil. She shouts out that she saw two women with the devil, Sarah Good and Goody Osburn. Abigail realizes that the only thing she …show more content…

The Puritans in The Crucible see anything weird as witchcraft. The girls were trying to do witch craft, but nothing supernatural happened. The townspeople then start doubting anything that comes up. Danforth explains why witchcraft is so controversial when he pronounces, “But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime is it not? Therefore, who may possibly witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other.” (93). This quote demonstrates the doubtful evidence for witchcraft. Nobody can prove anything unless someone confesses. It is a chain reaction when one person accuses another because they then have to convict someone or they die. They refuse to accept strange occurrences, so they blame the devil for all of their misfortune. The strict religion in the town causes everyone to doubt and accuse each

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