Hysteria and the Crucible - 1695 Words

Hysteria What is hysteria? By definition, hysteria is a state of intense agitation, anxiety, or excitement, especially as manifested by large groups or segments of society. In a broader sense however, hysteria is a killer, the delitescent devil. More specifically, hysteria was the main cause of nineteen deaths in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, and countless ruined reputations on account of Joe McCarthy. Hysteria does not just appear out of nowhere though. There are driving forces such as revenge and abuse of power that bring about the irrational fear that can take over society. These are the issues expressed in Arthur Millers The Crucible. The Crucible is paralleled directly to the Salem Witch Trials and indirectly to the McCarthy†¦show more content†¦The people of the town must have known how ridiculous these charges were but were afraid to admit it. They were afraid of what the witches would do to their families and ultimately afraid of being accused of witchcraft themselves. No one was safe from the accusations and a person was almost guaranteed to be accused if they stood up to the court and accusers. It just goes to show how a little fear, a little panic, and a couple of wild teenagers can create a widespread hysteria and make this hysterical society cause its own downfall. A similar thing happened with the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. It was not long after World War II, the cold war was taking place and Americans abhorred Communism. There was an unspoken but very real fear of Communists and the possibility of them overthrowing the American government. Senator Joseph McCarthy saw this weakness in American society and used it create a rampant panic. Just as in the Salem Witch Trials, people grabbed onto these accusations because they were willing to do anything to rid the nation of Communism. Many people were instrumental in ingraining thoughts of dread and antipathy towards Communists in the minds of Americans. Among these was a little known Senator who would remain silent for long. Joseph McCarthy was a fairly obscure man from Wisconsin. His name was forgettable, but his resentment was not to be ignored. By 1954, everyone in AmericaShow MoreRelatedHysteria In The Crucible1474 Words   |  6 Pagess behavior and thoughts. Hysteria, uncontrollable emotion among groups, is a major leader in past and present day society when it comes to how people act and think in different situations. The Crucible provides great examples with how hysteria can affect a group of people. Back in Salem, Massachusetts 1692, hysterics swept the town, creating a storm of emotions. Everyone wondering, what to do? What to think? In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses the effects of mass hysteria to reveal his purpose ofRead MoreHysteria In The Crucible1452 Words   |  6 PagesWithin Arthur Millerâ €™s award-winning play, The Crucible, there is a constant trend that flows through time. As the tale persists, Salem, Massachusetts gets wound up in the witch hunt of 1692, creating an infectious hysteria on all the villagers. City-wide fear overtakes individual thought and reasoning as well as it can today in America’s â€Å"trivial† matters. The Crucible has many components where the characters experience moments of hysteria. The play introduces the concept of witchcraft where inRead MoreHysteria, By The Crucible1230 Words   |  5 PagesHysteria was a major factor in the many accusations of witchcraft that transpired throughout The Crucible. It helps to comprehend what hysteria is--an overwhelming fear and elation that overrides all logic, and is often heightened and augmented by the presence of others who are acting out on that fear as well. Fear is the emotion of being terror-stricken of someone or something that is likely to cause you impairment, pain, or a risk.() In the play, the characters are intolerant of people who doRead MoreTheme Of Hysteria In The Crucible1060 Words   |  5 PagesHysteria, reputation, and fear. All words that sum up the plot of The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The Crucible is about the Salem witch trials in 1692. Several young girls claim to be afflicted by witchcraft, starting with Reverend Parriss daughter, Betty. The â€Å"afflicted† girls accuse people in the town of witchcraft, often choosing those who they or their families dislike. This leads to hysteria in the town and people being wrongly accused of witchcraft and being hung from it. In The CrucibleRead MoreExamples Of Hysteria In The Crucible1095 Words   |  5 Pages Hysteria is displayed by communities all over the world. It is an important factor in making and especially breaking relationships. In The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, hysteria plays an important role of tearing apart the community of Salem by creating an environment where peo ple act on their grudges. It is shown by many of the characters throughout the play as they eventually ruin one another as the book goes on. Mass hysteria negatively affects the lives of people around us. Many thingsRead MoreTheme Of Hysteria In The Crucible909 Words   |  4 Pages Hysteria is an uncontrollable emotion, usually involving a group of people. In the play The Crucible, hysteria is shown throughout many ways. The small Massachusetts Bay Colony forwent many changes over the span of a year. In this religious town, innocent people were martyred, neighbors turned against neighbors, and even the minister became corrupt and turned away from God. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, irony helps to depict hysteria in the town of Salem through the Theocracy of the town, theRead MoreExamples Of Hysteria In The Crucible1048 Words   |  5 Pagesthere are many cases of mass hysteria just like long ago. In the book John Proctor says a quote that hits big time for mass hysteria, he says â€Å"God is dead† while laughing insanely, and if that does not cause mass hysteria then nothing does. In The Crucible, many are tested with regards to their faith and put on trial for witchcraft. In this play, nineteen are hanged and one is pressed to death for the crime of being a witch, for that being John Proctor. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses McCarthyismRead MoreThe Effects Of Hysteria In The Crucible1489 Words   |  6 Pagescountless number of elements can be accounted for. Hysteria is a major leader in past and present day society when it comes to how people act and think in different situations. The Crucible provides great examples with how hysteria can affect a group of people. Back in Salem, Massachusetts 1692, hysterics swept the town, creating storms of emotion. Everyone is wondering, what to do? What to think? In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses the effects of mass hysteria to reveal his purpose of using it in his writingRead MoreHysteria In The Crucible Analysis827 Words   |  4 Pages18th century, Salem had witness one of the most appalling, unforgivable and unjust executions that would leave a forever lasting stain on the human history. The crucible, by Arthur Miller depicts how hysteria, political injustice and prejudice began the historical ‘witch hunt’ which resulted 19 innocents killed. Two centuries later hysteria, political injustice and prejudice have again affected the lives of three innocent teenagers, Damien Echols (18), Jessie Misskelly (17), and Jason Baldwin (16)Read MoreThe Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice1650 Words   |  7 PagesThe Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks its doing the right thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the peoples fear of what they felt was the Devils work and shows how a small group of powerful