Chaos, confusion, frenzy, disorder—just some of the few terms one could use to describe the town of Salem in 1692. Mass hysteria can happen anywhere, and can happen at any time. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses characters like Tituba, Abigail Williams, and Mary Warren to show how the effects of hysteria took over the town and made many people act out like they normally wouldn’t do.
In 1692 Salem was distraught. John Proctor was cheating on his wife, Mrs. Corey was reading fiction books and so called witches were taking over. Abigail Williams and a group girls were caught dancing in the forest and were believed to be practicing witchcraft. The next morning one of the girls, Betty, started acting very strange. This proposes the idea that she is …show more content…
She apparently saw “Sarah Good with the Devil!” (52), “Goody Osburn with the Devil!” (52) and also, “Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (52). With all these fake accusations flying around one couldn’t ever imagine the hysteria going around in the town. People were trying to save themselves from being hung and the only way that they could do that was to lie about being a witch. Even when one would “confess” many other people in the town now looked at them with disgrace. When Elizabeth Proctor goes on trial for being accused a witch by Abigail Williams is when the town was at its breaking point. During the trial Mary Warren knew the reason behind why Abigail wanted Elizabeth dead; she wanted John for herself. As Mary Warren is speaking to the judge Abigail decides to accuse Mary and make a huge scene. She pretended that Mary was sending a bird to hurt her. She asks, “Why do you come, yellow bird?” (114) Then she states “Envy is a deadly sin, Mary.” (115) toward the ceiling where she said the bird was. At that moment is when the court room went crazy and mass hysteria completely took
In 1692 Salem was distraught. John Proctor was cheating on his wife, Mrs. Corey was reading fiction books and so called witches were taking over. Abigail Williams and a group girls were caught dancing in the forest and were believed to be practicing witchcraft. The next morning one of the girls, Betty, started acting very strange. This proposes the idea that she is …show more content…
She apparently saw “Sarah Good with the Devil!” (52), “Goody Osburn with the Devil!” (52) and also, “Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (52). With all these fake accusations flying around one couldn’t ever imagine the hysteria going around in the town. People were trying to save themselves from being hung and the only way that they could do that was to lie about being a witch. Even when one would “confess” many other people in the town now looked at them with disgrace. When Elizabeth Proctor goes on trial for being accused a witch by Abigail Williams is when the town was at its breaking point. During the trial Mary Warren knew the reason behind why Abigail wanted Elizabeth dead; she wanted John for herself. As Mary Warren is speaking to the judge Abigail decides to accuse Mary and make a huge scene. She pretended that Mary was sending a bird to hurt her. She asks, “Why do you come, yellow bird?” (114) Then she states “Envy is a deadly sin, Mary.” (115) toward the ceiling where she said the bird was. At that moment is when the court room went crazy and mass hysteria completely took