Examples Of Hysteria In The Crucible
The witchcraft trials in Salem in 1692 were a result of many different elements that were going on within the town. Jealousy was the cornerstone of the mass hysteria that soon became known as the Salem witch trials. In his play, The Crucible, Miller demonstrates how the fear of people in authority can destroy a community by bringing it to mass hysteria through the characters of Parris, Putnam, and Proctor. Reverend Parris, the minister in Salem, fears the people of the town to a point where he can hardly leave his house without believing that someone is plotting against him. Reverend Parris has a suspicion that there is a faction in the church that is looking to overthrow him just as they have overthrown that past 2 ministers before him. He explains this idea of faction to John Proctor, who he assumes to be a member of this. Reverend Parris’ daughter, Betty, was the first one that caught the sickness, his servant, Tituba, was the first one that called
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out names accusing women of signing themselves to the devil, and niece, Abigail, was the first girl to call out accusations which began the mass hysteria in Salem. He fears that by his daughter and niece calling out names, it will give the people a reason to overthrow him, but he is presently surprised when the people are happy that it is in his house because his house is now the center for ridding Salem of the devil. The fear of being overthrown affects every action that Reverend Parris makes, which is why, in the end of the play, he is pleading with Elizabeth Proctor to go to John’s rescue and tell him to not give up his life. He realized that Abigail and Mercy had run away because it was all a lie, and now he would be the one to blame, which would surely give rise to rebellion that would cause him to leave Salem. Thomas Putnam, a man that was highly thought of in Salem, feared another person having more power or land in Salem that he did. In an accusation from Giles Corey, Giles claims that Putnam forced his daughter, Ruth, to accuse (I forget name) so that he could gain his land, considering he was the only one that was rich enough to purchase that plot of land. He argued with Proctor over whether the forest outside of Proctor’s house belonged to him or Proctor. Putnam feared not being the richest man in Salem. This fear led him to having both his wife and daughter call out names of some of the most respected women in Salem, such as Rebecca Nurse. He knew that no proof was needed for these women to be proven guilty, and therefore, used the system to accuse as many people as he could. Putnam didn’t want the power to be taken from his hands by those that were seen as better than he was, and this fear led him to use his daughter to accuse others. John Proctor fears sinning again and hurting his wife even more than he already has.
The fear of harming his wife led to him hurting his own name and Abigail’s by saying that he committed lechery on her. He only confessed this in order to save his wife and all of the others that had been arrested. He also had a fear, deep inside himself, that he would be accused and wouldn’t be able to die. He feared being hung, but feared blackening his and his children’s’ names even more and therefore hung. He told Danforth that he would be nothing without his name and didn’t want it to be blackened in the town. The fear of letting down his wife once against caused him to make the decision to be hung rather than confess, because he knew that his wife would never confess no matter how horrible the punishment. He also shows a fear of God by asking God who he was and what he was supposed to do. John’s main fear is of himself because he knows that his faults have brought him to hurt his relationship with Rebecca, Abigail, and
God. Reverend Parris, Thomas Putnam, and John Proctor all express different fears based on their pasts and their current roles within Salem. Despite their differences, the men all played a role in the mass hysteria of the witch trials through their actions that were made based on their fears. While John Proctor positively affected the witch trials in the end, all three of these men played a role in the beginning of the trials.
out names accusing women of signing themselves to the devil, and niece, Abigail, was the first girl to call out accusations which began the mass hysteria in Salem. He fears that by his daughter and niece calling out names, it will give the people a reason to overthrow him, but he is presently surprised when the people are happy that it is in his house because his house is now the center for ridding Salem of the devil. The fear of being overthrown affects every action that Reverend Parris makes, which is why, in the end of the play, he is pleading with Elizabeth Proctor to go to John’s rescue and tell him to not give up his life. He realized that Abigail and Mercy had run away because it was all a lie, and now he would be the one to blame, which would surely give rise to rebellion that would cause him to leave Salem. Thomas Putnam, a man that was highly thought of in Salem, feared another person having more power or land in Salem that he did. In an accusation from Giles Corey, Giles claims that Putnam forced his daughter, Ruth, to accuse (I forget name) so that he could gain his land, considering he was the only one that was rich enough to purchase that plot of land. He argued with Proctor over whether the forest outside of Proctor’s house belonged to him or Proctor. Putnam feared not being the richest man in Salem. This fear led him to having both his wife and daughter call out names of some of the most respected women in Salem, such as Rebecca Nurse. He knew that no proof was needed for these women to be proven guilty, and therefore, used the system to accuse as many people as he could. Putnam didn’t want the power to be taken from his hands by those that were seen as better than he was, and this fear led him to use his daughter to accuse others. John Proctor fears sinning again and hurting his wife even more than he already has.
The fear of harming his wife led to him hurting his own name and Abigail’s by saying that he committed lechery on her. He only confessed this in order to save his wife and all of the others that had been arrested. He also had a fear, deep inside himself, that he would be accused and wouldn’t be able to die. He feared being hung, but feared blackening his and his children’s’ names even more and therefore hung. He told Danforth that he would be nothing without his name and didn’t want it to be blackened in the town. The fear of letting down his wife once against caused him to make the decision to be hung rather than confess, because he knew that his wife would never confess no matter how horrible the punishment. He also shows a fear of God by asking God who he was and what he was supposed to do. John’s main fear is of himself because he knows that his faults have brought him to hurt his relationship with Rebecca, Abigail, and
God. Reverend Parris, Thomas Putnam, and John Proctor all express different fears based on their pasts and their current roles within Salem. Despite their differences, the men all played a role in the mass hysteria of the witch trials through their actions that were made based on their fears. While John Proctor positively affected the witch trials in the end, all three of these men played a role in the beginning of the trials.