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The Crucible: Theme Of Mass Hysteria - Online Term Paper

The Crucible: Theme Of Mass Hysteria

In the past, present, and undoubtedly in the future, deceptive
individuals take advantage of the anxieties and fears of society. When a
society's insecurities are exposed and raw, a disconcerted mood spreads
throughout the people. This contagion can engulf an entire population and
become like a living entity, causing people to act rashly and
hypocritically. Whether or not the fear is justified, a convincing
individual can exploit a certain mentality called mob psychology. Mob
psychology involves manipulating the hysteria of a crowd to fulfill one's
desires. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Abigail Williams and other
characters spread a fear of witches in the Puritan town of Salem. The ...

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who hopes to take over some of his neighbor's land. To amplify the
situation, a group of girls are questioned by ministers for performing
witch-like rituals in the forest. A Puritan belief of the 17th century is
that the devil and other demons live in the forest, and that witchcraft is
performed there as well. Dissembling citizens begin to accuse others of
witchcraft, with a very selfish motive. As John Proctor describes the
hysteria that ensues, "vengeance is walking Salem" (1079). The vengeance
that Proctor is talking about is the motive for all the accusers. The
accusers are able to get away with injustices in the court because the
townspeople are extremely afraid of witchcraft, and thus are eager to
annihilate any signs of it.
The mass hysteria also has an incredible effect later in the play,
when the witchcraft trials take place. Many people are being convicted with
very insubstantial testimony, and with no tangible evidence at all. This is
because the people of the ...

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The Crucible: Theme Of Mass Hysteria. (2006, August 16). Retrieved January 13, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Crucible-Theme-Of-Mass-Hysteria/50835

"The Crucible: Theme Of Mass Hysteria." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 16 Aug. 2006. Web. 13 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Crucible-Theme-Of-Mass-Hysteria/50835>

"The Crucible: Theme Of Mass Hysteria." Essayworld.com. August 16, 2006. Accessed January 13, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Crucible-Theme-Of-Mass-Hysteria/50835.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 8/16/2006 01:01:15 AM
Category: Arts
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 871
Pages: 4

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