The Crucible In the year 1692, Salem is filled with fear and paranoia of witchcraft. Men, women, children, and even dogs are being executed for witchcraft. The people of Salem are living in constant fear of both being accused, and being a victim. When put on trial, they are given two options: Confess, and live or Deny, and be hanged. The court is a theocracy, based solely off the word of the victims, the accused, and God. “...She swears now that she never saw Satan; nor any spirit, vague or clear, that Satan may have sent to hurt her…” (92). Abigail Williams, along with several other girls, was found dancing in the woods. The next morning, Reverend Parris’s daughter is unresponsive. The girls deny any accusations of witchcraft that night,
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Abigail is the stem of mass hysteria in Salem. Mass hysteria presents itself amongst a large group of people, usually through paranoia of a threat to society. The people of Salem are taken over by the fear of witchcraft and the Devil being loose in Salem, that they are hardly able to believe otherwise. John Proctor is trying to prove Abigail and the girls guilty in order to save his wife. The girls all run out of the court, and cause an uproar through the town. Mary Warren accuses John of being one with the Devil, “ ..hysterically, pointing at proctor, fearful of him: My name, he want my name. “I’ll murder you,” he says, “if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court” he says!” (110). John is accused in front of the town, “Laughing insanely, then: A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns your kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together.” (111). John ultimately calls out the ignorance of the people and church, who believe that the girls are truly being harmed by
Abigail is the stem of mass hysteria in Salem. Mass hysteria presents itself amongst a large group of people, usually through paranoia of a threat to society. The people of Salem are taken over by the fear of witchcraft and the Devil being loose in Salem, that they are hardly able to believe otherwise. John Proctor is trying to prove Abigail and the girls guilty in order to save his wife. The girls all run out of the court, and cause an uproar through the town. Mary Warren accuses John of being one with the Devil, “ ..hysterically, pointing at proctor, fearful of him: My name, he want my name. “I’ll murder you,” he says, “if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court” he says!” (110). John is accused in front of the town, “Laughing insanely, then: A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns your kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together.” (111). John ultimately calls out the ignorance of the people and church, who believe that the girls are truly being harmed by