Fear In The Crucible Essay

Fear is simply a four-letter word, yet it can infect an entire world. McCarthyism in America during the late 1940s and early 1950s was driven by the fear of power rising in communist ideas. Author, Arthur Miller, paralleled the paranoia to the Puritans during the Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693. In Miller’s play, The Crucible, seven young girls found power in the town of Salem and exploited their new control by accusing the townspeople of witchcraft. Fear inspired by witchcraft drove the trials to extremes. The impact of creating and exploiting public hysteria to obtain power ultimately creates fear and greater damage.
In the past, exploitation of public hysteria left people paralyzed with fear. The fear felt during the Red Scare and Salem witch trials is put into words by Arthur Miller. In Source 1, he states, “To lose oneself day after day in that record of human delusion was to know a fear, not for one’s safety, but of the spectacle of intelligent people giving themselves over to a rapture of murderous credulity.” The confusion during times of mass hysteria led even the most honorable people to take part in immoral activities. The shocking actions of people sparked a fear in everyone. The idea of a witch or communist being disguised by the
For example, in the play, The Crucible, the people in the court manipulated not only each other, but also the townspeople. Abigail was a main manipulator in the courts because the more she encouraged the turmoil, the more power she gained. An example of Abigail’s manipulation is when she twisted Mary Warren’s testimony. Abigail called out in fear, “Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it’s God’s work I do” (Miller 51). The court fell to Abigail’s control as she accused another innocent individual of witchcraft. She took advantage of the town’s confusion to receive more