Abigail's Use Of Hysteria In The Crucible

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“Islam only knows the language of hatred against alien races and religions” (Imre Kertesz, 2002). This quote shows how easily hysteria can spread, such as in the wake of 9/11, and how this can lead to persecution. This has happened numerous times throughout history and can be seen in the play The Crucible. The Crucible is a play by Arthur Miller, which tells a fictionalized version of the Salem Witch Trials and how hysteria can be spread through a community but will eventually fail; all of which is an allegory for the McCarthy era communist trials. The Crucible demonstrates that the motivations of Abigail enable her to create hysteria and thus use this hysteria for the society’s personal agendas; and this hysteria has the ability to spread …show more content…
One of these motivations is her greed for power. After Abigail starts the initial hysteria she uses it to obtain power, which was something she would never have normally been able to have. Abigail utilizes this power even to threaten a Judge of the High Court (Danforth); Abigail threatens Danforth when Proctor comes to call her bluff, and she warns Danforth, “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it!” (108, III). Given that Abigail goes so far as to question the power of a Judge, one of the most respected people in society, she not only has obtained a substantial amount of power, but because she did not back down in Danforth’s questioning, she also craves more power. This is typical of hysteria; once started, some use it for their own personal motives, as seen here in The Crucible. Abigail has a strong passion for John Proctor, and once the hysteria starts, she begins to use it to advance her relationship with John Proctor. Abigail does this by condemning Goody Proctor as a witch. However, this does not work out as intended, because John Proctor no longer wishes to be with her, and he expresses this on page 110, “She [Abigail] thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! … But it is a whore’s vengeance.” Abigail’s plan also backfires in that, she intended to get with John Proctor, but because of the hysteria it caused Proctor to be jailed. This speaks to one of the most important elements of hysteria; although any individual can create hysteria and use if for their own personal motives, it can easily spiral out of control and even backfire on those that started the

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